1980 - 1989
1980
CALIBRATION
During this decade digital systems replaced and augmented the original aircraft installations and an on-board computer speeded up the time taken for analysis and production results.
HELICOPTER
July, Tony Lister gained his Type Rating on the Bell 222 when he was checked out at the Bell plant, Fort Worth, Texas.
1981
The last two Doves G-ANUW and G-ANOV, used for I/R tests, were struck of as PWFU (Permanently Withdrawn from Use) in July of this year. These had been retained to enable the provision of refresher flying for Operations Officers which is why, now that they had been withdrawn, there was a need for another light twin aircraft — though not ........................
CALIBRATION - SKYCAL
An advanced calibration and display system for the inspection of instrument landing aids was announced. The USA, Britain and other countries were working out proposals for microwave landing systems for adoption by ICAO, and while working on a quick way to provide results of these trials it was seen that there was a possible way to provide an improvement in the results of calibration measurements.
Called Skycal it was a move from the analogue system, used in the CAFU HS748’s, to a digital system that was thought to be a break through by enabling the NAI on the aircraft to dispense with the paper print-outs, recording digitally calibration measurements which could then be visually displayed on a 17 inch Visual display Unit VDU)........................
However, although the Navigation directorate and CAAFU P & E (Planning and Development) investigated the digital encoding of the Flight Inspection signal, and in spite of all the praise and hopes for this equipment, it died a quiet death; mainly because. Mr Geoff Bailey, Tels. N3, CAA House, London, instrumental in the design, was, perhaps, ...............................................
1982
CAA CHAIRMAN
Mr John Dent, who had been Managing Director of the Dunlop rubber company, was appointed as the new Chairman of the CAA, replacing Mr Nigel Foulkes, who’s tenure had seen the CAA become self-financing.
CIVIL AVIATION ACT
A new Civil Aviation Act (1982) cames into force.
CHIEF OPERATIONS INSPECTOR
Capt. W. Wooden, previously a Deputy Commander at CAFU and now Chief FLight Operations Iinspector (CFOI), chaired a session of the Royal Aeronautical Society’s (RAeS) Flight Simulation Group symposium. The theme was Experiences of ......................................
AIRCRAFT
In April CAAFU had its first and only foreign aircraft, an American Piper PA31 Navajo, G-BFBH................
At the end of the year, in December, the CAA had their last BAe125 registered to them, G-...............................
AIRCRAFT LIVERY CHANGE
Now that the HS125, G-AVDX, was about to depart, and a new one, G-CCAA, about to arrive, the CAA must have decided it was opportune to change the livery of the CAAFU aircraft. Although the CAA Chairman Nigel Foulkes was due to hand over to Mr John Dent, the requirement to put the Flight Inspection into corporate colours was probably made during the reign of.......
The only two aircraft left that required the colour change were the two flight inspection 748 aircraft, G-AVXI and G-AVXJ; aircraft that required the highest visibility because of the nature of their work. Because there were only two aircraft left to paint it was at a moderate expense to put them into corporate colours, but it was thought, at Stansted, a misjudgement .............................
The aircraft were painted in the CAA’s own logo colour of Sion blue. It was the first aircraft flown by CAAFU and all its predecessors that no longer displayed the Civil Air Ensign. It went almost unnoticed, yet spoke volumes; ........................ It set out the intent of change.
The livery of the PA31 was kept a modest quiet beige, perhaps as it was flown for refresher in the UK and the near continent and the CAA did not want it easily recognised as a CAA aircraft.
For the new BAe125, G-CCAA, I am not sure that it required any change as it arrived in a quiet livery of overall white with three smart blue cheat lines running from the point of the nose, under the windows, through the fan engines, and swept up two thirds of the fin and rudder. It was beautiful but not loud. It would hardly be noticed, which is probably what its owner required. Only the name running on the top half of the fuselage, just above the windows, gave the game away. This aircraft had no flags on display at all.......................
LINE FLYING
Training Inspectors were sometimes invited by the Company, whose Training Captains they were visiting, to fly on Line as a Company pilot. Mainly this was as P2, nevertheless this enabled the Company to have access to an additional pilot and provided the CAAFU Training Inspector additional hours on Type.
G-AVXI seen on the hardstanding at Glasgow in its questionable CAA colours.
Photo: Derek Ferguson/www.abpic.co.uk
Photo: Derek Ferguson/www.abpic.co.uk
G-BFBH Piper PA31 Navajo, the only foreign aircraft used by the CAAFU.
Photo: Eddy Harris
Photo: Eddy Harris
1983
MLS
In January Flight reported that Britain's Civil Aviation Authority was to begin microwave landing system (MLS) trials this year. The tests were intended to aid CAA evaluation of MLS equipment, due to replace ILS worldwide by 1985.
Installation of MLS was already under way in the USA, where more than 1,200 units were, reportedly, to be installed over the next ten years or so. ICAO expected to co-ordinate and finalise its plans in the next two years.
ILS
The UK Civil Aviation Authority planned to buy .. new instrument landing systems (ILS's), as replacements for ageing equipment at about .... airports - including Heathrow and Gatwick. Municipal airports would have to replace a further 20 or so ILSs for similar reasons. ILS deliveries were expected to begin in 1984, and extend over six years. Nearly all Britain's existing ILSs were Stan 37 / 38s, supplied by STC - now part of Plessey.
1984
UNIT OPERATIONS OFFICER
The position of Unit Operations Officer was left vacant when Sid Pritchard, who had joined the MCA in 1947, retired. Surprisingly, the position was not replaced and Ron Gold, Operations Supervisor, took responsibility for staffing.
MICROWAVE LANDING SYSTEM
The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) was busy evaluating the microwave landing system (MLS) it had installed at Stansted Airport. It needed to build up as much technical and operational experience as possible, before contributing to the May 1985 ICAO meeting on the introduction of MLS.
Although the HS748, used by CAFU for calibration, was too aerodynamically clean to behave like a Short take-off and Landing (STOL) aircraft ....................
IRE/TRE DATABASE
CAAFU were approached by Flight Operations to create a database of their information on Type Rating / Instrument Rating Examiners that was held at Stansted. This could then be used by London staff using the data-link modem on the ICL master server at Stansted and the IT department Main Frame, available for use by Flight Operations staff in London. IT staff, together with Nigel Smith who had created the Flight Planning system, demonstrated what was possible to John Allinson, Deputy Director FCL, Ken Crisp Ops Officer from Flight Ops in London and CAFU Ops staff.
UNIT OPERATIONS OFFICER
The position of Unit Operations Officer was left vacant when Sid Pritchard, who had joined the MCA in 1947, retired. Surprisingly, the position was not replaced and Ron Gold, Operations Supervisor, took responsibility for staffing.
MICROWAVE LANDING SYSTEM
The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) was busy evaluating the microwave landing system (MLS) it had installed at Stansted Airport. It needed to build up as much technical and operational experience as possible, before contributing to the May 1985 ICAO meeting on the introduction of MLS.
Although the HS748, used by CAFU for calibration, was too aerodynamically clean to behave like a Short take-off and Landing (STOL) aircraft ....................
IRE/TRE DATABASE
CAAFU were approached by Flight Operations to create a database of their information on Type Rating / Instrument Rating Examiners that was held at Stansted. This could then be used by London staff using the data-link modem on the ICL master server at Stansted and the IT department Main Frame, available for use by Flight Operations staff in London. IT staff, together with Nigel Smith who had created the Flight Planning system, demonstrated what was possible to John Allinson, Deputy Director FCL, Ken Crisp Ops Officer from Flight Ops in London and CAFU Ops staff.
1985
CALIBRATION
CAFU Tels were in a continuing era of change as solid state devices made for greater stability both in the air and on the ground. This slowly led to the reduced frequency of flight inspections. Digital systems were replacing and augmenting the original aircraft installations, and on-board computer equipment speeded up the time taken for analysis and the production of results.
125 SIMULATOR
In March, Capt John Robinson, McAlpine, flew an HS125, G-FIVE, a series 1 aircraft from Southend to Luton airport. This aircraft was later broken up and the cockpit sold to Simulated Flight Training to be used as part of a new simulator. This would eventually be installed in British Caledonian’s simulation building at Gatwick to be ready for the CAA Authorised Examiner courses after the break-up of CAFU.
GLOBAL POSITIONING SATELLITE (GPS)
It was reported that when NAVSTAR (18 operational satellites) came in to operation, GPS could conceivably be used for instrument landings, a receiver at the airport providing position corrections to incoming aircraft.
CAAFU FLIGHT PLANNING
The introduction of a computer for Flight Planning had proved highly successful allowing crews more time in preparation and providing quick access to a printed plan, particularly when a change of venue was necessary due to cancellation of task or weather deterioration at an intended destination.
HUMAN RESOURCES
By the mid-eighties, together with the changes that were going to apply when the split of Pre Airline Examining and Post Airline Inspection was going to take place, the CAA brought in Human Resources to take stock of the situation. All CAAFU staff were interviewed, establishing those staff who could or could not, or even would not, move. The location of a new establishment was not known — to ordinary staff at Stansted. Rumours were rife, ........................
The new BAe125 G-CCAA. Seen at Jersey in 1985 a popular destination for crews as the flight only took 40 minutes each way.
Not in CAA Logo colour scheme and with no flag either.
Photo: Peter Moore/www.abpic.co.uk
Not in CAA Logo colour scheme and with no flag either.
Photo: Peter Moore/www.abpic.co.uk
1986
MLS
Although trials of MLS had been taking place in the USA for some time, the only U.K. example of the system, other than at Stansted and Gatwick, was at Yeovil, home base of Westland Helicopters, and used for research only. The U.K. CAA had already endorsed the ICAO policy of introducing MLS into member countries by the 1990s.
LONDON CITY
London City Airport was expected to be the first airfield to provide for the concurrent use of MLS with ILS. ATC would be run by the UK National Air Traffic Service, subject to proposals being accepted. The airfield controllers would have radar displays with a data link from Heathrow to keep them in the overall picture of London air traffic. The peak daily traffic capacity target was set ............................
CALIBRATION
Over the years that the CAFU HS748 had been used, there had been few tasks in flight inspection it had been unable to perform. For example, the aircraft operating envelope had been flexible enough to allow steep angle approaches of up to 9 degrees, which enabled CAFU to calibrate the ILS at London City Airport, firstly in its 7.5 degree glide path configuration and later with a 6 degree glide path
MLS
Although trials of MLS had been taking place in the USA for some time, the only U.K. example of the system, other than at Stansted and Gatwick, was at Yeovil, home base of Westland Helicopters, and used for research only. The U.K. CAA had already endorsed the ICAO policy of introducing MLS into member countries by the 1990s.
LONDON CITY
London City Airport was expected to be the first airfield to provide for the concurrent use of MLS with ILS. ATC would be run by the UK National Air Traffic Service, subject to proposals being accepted. The airfield controllers would have radar displays with a data link from Heathrow to keep them in the overall picture of London air traffic. The peak daily traffic capacity target was set ............................
CALIBRATION
Over the years that the CAFU HS748 had been used, there had been few tasks in flight inspection it had been unable to perform. For example, the aircraft operating envelope had been flexible enough to allow steep angle approaches of up to 9 degrees, which enabled CAFU to calibrate the ILS at London City Airport, firstly in its 7.5 degree glide path configuration and later with a 6 degree glide path
1987
CAA CHAIRMAN
Mr Dent was replaced by Mr Christopher Tugendhat.
NATS
In April Air Traffic Control had been allocated £.. million to update their systems.
The money would pay for:
modernised approach control room at London Heathrow,
new navigation beacons for en-route traffic,
instrument landing systems at ten UK airports, and
a new building at London Gatwick for collocating the CAA's safety services.
The CAA received a £.. million loan from the European Investment Bank (EIB) to help finance the updating of the nation's air traffic control facilities.
MLS DEVELOPMENTS
By 1987 the US Federal Aviation Agency (FAA) had already planned for hundreds of airport installations, arguing that it was the way to increase airport capacity. But major US airlines were opposing these plans citing costs and benefits. Even the U.S. Congress, who had been told there would be a need for a thousand installations, had recently refused to approve funding .........
Even if MLS could increase capacity it was thought that the FAA were not as far forward as they were saying; MLS was only CAT I, and not even upgradable to CAT II. Even though the FAA talked of curved approaches, no civil aircraft had .................
Opponents were also pointing out that airframe manufacturers were saying that installation of both MLS and ILS in aircraft, thought necessary perhaps for the next ten years, would cause a .......................
While airport capacity was a top subject it was being asked if MLS was really one of the solutions. The USA and Europe were at variance over the subject; Keith Mack, Controller of the U.K. National Air Traffic Services (NATS), stated that it was his impression that ............................
The FAA thought that the difference between themselves and the U.K. CAA was that the CAA had only concentrated on the benefits of ..................................
Stan Maiden, the BAA head of development planning and research, believed that once the runway capacity of an airport had been reached, there were only two ways forward ..................................................
LONDON CITY
Operations at London City Airport began in May, 1987, it was equipped with two ILS, one DME and one NDB, plus a discrete airfield control frequency. ILS had been chosen in preference to MLS because ..........................
125
After five years service with CAAFU the BAe125, G-CCAA, was de-registered on the 4th September 1987. The CAA no longer owned a BAe125 but now leased from ......................
1988
CAAFU
This was to be the final year of CAAFU staff operating together under one roof. Aircraft would go and staff dispersed. Most of the aircrew would be going to the new CAA Safety Regulation Group (SRG) building, still to be completed at Gatwick, and then to be split between the two departments of ........................
Only the telecommunication flight inspection side staff, which now came under National Air Traffic Services (NATS), would remain at Stansted, albeit .....................
The expectation now for the Tels staff was that the British Airports Authority wanted Stansted House for themselves; the rent had increased significantly and a move was only dependent on .......................
But it was not the only change for the Tels department. It was decided that the flight inspection element of the Civil Aviation Authority Flying Unit (CAAFU), which now being separated from CAFU, should have a new name. In some ways the new name seemed more relevant than CAAFU because under NATS it could become ..................
CAAFU
This was to be the final year of CAAFU staff operating together under one roof. Aircraft would go and staff dispersed. Most of the aircrew would be going to the new CAA Safety Regulation Group (SRG) building, still to be completed at Gatwick, and then to be split between the two departments of ........................
Only the telecommunication flight inspection side staff, which now came under National Air Traffic Services (NATS), would remain at Stansted, albeit .....................
The expectation now for the Tels staff was that the British Airports Authority wanted Stansted House for themselves; the rent had increased significantly and a move was only dependent on .......................
But it was not the only change for the Tels department. It was decided that the flight inspection element of the Civil Aviation Authority Flying Unit (CAAFU), which now being separated from CAFU, should have a new name. In some ways the new name seemed more relevant than CAAFU because under NATS it could become ..................
1989
In 1989 G-AVXI was seen at Stornoway by Peter Moore, in a new, or rather an additional, colour scheme. Obviously the Flight Calibration Unit management and NATS had considered the necessity of making the aircraft properly visible and, perhaps as an interim measure, had four orange bands painted right round the fuselage in addition to the fin, wing and tail tips.
In 1989 G-AVXI was seen at Stornoway by Peter Moore, in a new, or rather an additional, colour scheme. Obviously the Flight Calibration Unit management and NATS had considered the necessity of making the aircraft properly visible and, perhaps as an interim measure, had four orange bands painted right round the fuselage in addition to the fin, wing and tail tips.
Someone thought about the need for Flight Inspection aircraft to be visible.
Photo: Brian R. Johnstone/www.abpic.co.uk
Photo: Brian R. Johnstone/www.abpic.co.uk
But they had to be joking.
Poor XI looks like a muzzled pup, given a scarf to keep out the cold in Stornoway - although it was only August.
Photo: Brian R. Johnstone/www.abpic.co.uk
Poor XI looks like a muzzled pup, given a scarf to keep out the cold in Stornoway - although it was only August.
Photo: Brian R. Johnstone/www.abpic.co.uk
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