On the Airbands

I missed wishing Captain Charles Vaughan-Smith the best on his retirement at the end of 1993 from 27 years distinguished service with Qantas Airways.

His final flight in the Skipper’s seat was on a QF 74 service from Kuala Lumpur to Perth. Prior to his long term with Qantas, Charles had 10 years with the RAAF as a pilot. Flight Service Director Glenn Anderson organised the entire cabin crew to celebrate Charles’ last flight in Command with cake and afternoon tea at Kuala Lumpur before the crew had to “book on” for the flight. Enjoy your retirement Charles, from all of us at AA.

While we’re on the subject of Qantas, the airline now operates the heaviest commercial passenger aircraft in the world, following an increase in the maximum certified take-off weight (MTOW) of Qantas Boeing 747-400 aircraft.

The eighteen 747-400’s operated by Qantas are used for long-haul sectors, and their weight has been increased from 395,624kg (870,000lb) to 396,893kg (875,000lb).

Qantas is the first airline to take up the option of increasing the aircraft MTOW by 5000lb. The increase in weight allows the airline to increase passenger and cargo payloads on their longest sectors, Los Angeles to Sydney, and Singapore to London. Wind factors have forced the crews to order additional fuel at various times of the year, and this cuts back payload appreciably. The new limit will allow for at least 15 additional passengers, or the equivalent cargo weight.

The early 747-100 series (not purchased by Qantas) weighed in at 322,340kg (710,000lb) MTOW. The first Qantas 747’s, the 200 variant, were 365,470kg (805,000lb) MTOW.

It’s interesting to look at the range figures for the Qantas Boeing 747-400, with volumetric payload. It’s now 6880nm, or 12,742km. The original Qantas 747-200’s could only manage 4834nm, or 8953km.

Qantas’ Performance and Engineering Branch began investigating the weight increase in early 1993, and after ex- haustive studies, as well as close liaison with Boeing engineers, have now instituted the new weight limit.

Just by the by, all eighteen Boeing 747-400s now have inseat videos installed in First and Business Class, as predicted in this column during 1993. The personal video systems offer a selection of more than 70 movies or other titles for First Class passengers, while Business Class pax can access video on eight channels through a video distribution system. Work installing the videos on the “Classic” 747s (six 300s, three 200s and two Combis) will be completed around the time you read this issue of AA.

A serving RAAF pilot who requests to remain nameless in the column (we’ll call him “Norman”) sends us two nice pieces involving Macchis and CT-4s.

The first story can run under the title. . . “Delivering the Boss’s Jet”.

This particular Macchi was being ferried to Perth for repaint and refurbishment prior to delivery to 2 Flying Training School (2FTS) at Pearce. The aircraft had been used by the Chief of Air Staff of the time, AM Ray Funnell. It was a particularly sporty looking machine, with outstanding white, red, and blue trim. It also had a distinctive radio callsign, “CHIEFTAIN ZERO 1”.

Over the years, Perth Tower ATC personnel had seen many Macchi’s pass through Perth on the way to depot servicing. On this particular ferry day, the pilot had obviously had a long day, and he executed an approach and landing on Runway 24 at Perth. During the rollout, the following exchange took place: PERTH TWR: “Nice paint scheme Alladin 247!” ALLADIN 247: “Yair. . . not bad for an old girl. ” PERTH TWR: “Guess when you’re the Chief, you can have any paint scheme you want?” ALLADIN 247: “You guessed it right my friend”.

I personally saw the CAS’s colourful Macchi frequently, and compliment Ray Funnell on showing a lot of flair with the livery on his aircraft. (Reminds me of Patton’s pearl handled revolver grips! Good stuff!) How many of you know the origin of the term “Plastic Parrot” for the CT-4 aircraft? “Norman” states it’s high time a few stories surrounding the origin of the name surfaced. One classic “parrot” story originates from an early CT-4A stream navigation exercise to RAAF Wagga that the staff and students at 1 Flying Training School (IFTS) conducted as part of their Dual Navigation Syllabus.

Melbourne FIS (Flight Service) was quite busy passing traffic (ah. . . those were the days!) relating to the lengthy and indeed increasing stream of CT-4s to the other aircraft on frequency. Somewhere west of Wangaratta, a civil aircraft, flown by what sounded like a rather elderly gentleman was going to great lengths to ensure he had copied all the traffic. When informed by Melbourne FIS that there was a stream of twenty or so CT-4s tracking northbound to The Rock and Wagga, the old guy’s reply was: VH-NIT: “Ah Melbourne. . . November India Tango, if I see that many CT-4’s at once, they’ll just look like a big flock of parrots!” Before Melbourne FIS could get a word in, a member of the IFTS staff renowned for his quick wit on the radio came back with this great reply: UNIDENT: “I’d rather have a big flock of parrots than one big galah!” RIP the Plastic Parrot! A number of people have written to me (too numerous to write all their names here) asking what “ARINC” is. Some readers have heard aircraft such as United 816 and United 842 calling Honolulu on HF with the words. . . “Honolulu ARINC (pronounced AIR-INK), this is United 816”. So what is ARINC? ARINC is a cutdown of “Aeronautical Radio Incorporated”, which was incorporated in 1929, as a result of pio-neer airlines recognising the need to employ radio for operational communications to aircraft. The organisation’s brief was “to serve aircraft, dirigibles, and all other vehicles propelled in the air in transmitting and receiving, by radio, Communications and messages of all kinds and descriptions, to assure safe, regular operations”. Now, 65 years later, its purpose is unchanged.

The scheduled airlines of the United States are its princiPal customers, as well as its principal stockholders. Its services however are extended to all aircraft operators, large and small, from the USA and all other countries, whether scheduled or supplemental, and either business, private or governmental in origin.

ARINC is unique for an American organisation, in that it serves the aviation industry on a non profit basis with charges for services based upon costs only. The costs are distributed in proportion to usage.

ARINC employs more than 400 people, with half of these located at its HQ at Annapolis, and the other 200 being in field situations at ARINC centres, such as Honolulu, San Francisco etc. I might mention here that ARINC’s Data Network is one of the largest private message switching systems in existence today, handling in excess of four million messages every day! The main ARINC centres are: Anchorage Alaska, with extended range VHF facilities, San Francisco and Honolulu with both HF and VHF services, as well as San Juan and New York, also having HF as well as VHF extended range, or VHF gateway services.

While I am writing the column on my word processor, 131. 3 Sydney Control has come alive with a USAF Starlifter “Reach 90210” notifying of undercarriage problems which can’t be cured prior to landing. The aircraft is not being diverted back to Richmond, but instead is proceeding to Alice Springs for a full emergency landing. USAF C-141 Starlifters travel several days a week through to the Pine Gap and Northwest Cape areas, to service and resupply the US bases there, with computer and other parts, and to convey the intelligence “product” gathered by the various bases back to the United States.

I have received a very welcome letter from a serving RAAF member commending me on the tribute paid to the two RAAF fliers killed in last September’s F-111C crash. One of the airmen involved was a close friend of our correspondent. Our small tribute apparently made this person feel very proud to have known his friend from the tragic military jet. He tells me that “you hit the nail on the head. . . they were fine aviators and it was a tragedy they died doing what they loved. ” I’m glad this man found some comfort in our words. Anything I can do to highlight the sacrifices our military regularly make, including on thankfully rare occasions, their own lives, as they train hard to protect us, I am glad to do. One by-product of regular military monitoring is a definite respect which develops for the professionalism of the Service pilots. If you haven’t done much listening to the military band, 225 to 400 MHz on AM, give it a go. You will also catch a lot of military flying on Flightwatch frequencies operated by FIS on VHF 118-137 MHz.

R Domingeuz from Hurlstone Park in Sydney recently overheard an emergency situation develop involving a well known cargo airline, Federal Express. The aircraft, a Boe- ing 747 freighter, callsign “Express 74”, had just departed Runway 16 at Sydney and was on climb to cruising altitude to the east of Sydney, over ocean.

The pilot was alerted by another crew member that he had a fire in No 2 engine (port inboard), and after advising Sydney Control on 128. 6 of the problem, he decided to continue his climb to FL 190 and begin a fuel dump.

The fire was apparently extinguished almost immediately inflight by the crew, but the pilot decided to return to Sydney for a full emergency landing following the fuel dump, just to be on the safe side.

The aircraft, with five persons on board (POB), landed safely fifteen minutes later, and was towed away to Qantas Maintenance for inspection. Another happy ending! Listening In magazine, with FLIGHTWATCH, written by yours truly and Jean Baker is now out. Send $8. 00 to Airband Communications, PO Box 16 Georges Hall 2198. Till next month, this is Bob saying “Enjoy your aviation monitoring!”