New airport radar will help avoid repeat of Concorde crash
Vancouver airport will next year become the first in the world to operate a new radar system that can
detect the smallest piece of debris on a runway with pinpoint accuracy, officials said. Vancouver
International Airport, on Canada's west coast, has bought four Tarsier radar units developed by British
company QinetiQ following the Concorde crash at Paris Charles de Gaulle airport in
July, 2000 which killed 113 people. The disaster was blamed on a piece of metal that fell of another
passenger jet, punctured a tire and caused secondary damage. The Tarsier, based on high-resolution
millimeter wave radar, is able to detect material the size of a 2-inch bolt to within 10 feet, at a range of
up to 1.5 miles. It can also tell if the item is made of metal, plastic, glass, wood or animal remains, said
Craig Richmond, Vancouver International Airport Authority's vice-president of operations. Once
computer software identifies the item, a global positioning system is used to direct airport staff to its
location to clean up the debris, he said. Currently, checking for debris is done manually — staff walk
up and down runways with a broom and a dustpan. Prone to human error, the method is also time
consuming and expensive if it delays incoming or outgoing flights, Richmond said. Vancouver
International airport hosted the first full trial of the Tarsier system in 2004. It has since been tested at
John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York, London's Heathrow airport and at a US Air Force
base in Texas. Richmond said that during tests, the Tarsier detected flocks of birds and a plastic water
bottle at night that was more than half a mile away. The system costs about $1.2 million but Steve
Brittan, managing director of QinetiQ Airport Radar, believes it will become invaluable as the cost from
debris damage and resulting delays around the world is about $4.0 billion dollars a year. "And, the
safety of life argument is the most compelling (reason) of all," he added. The radar system is part of a
$1.2 billion dollar expansion of Vancouver airport, which expects up to 100,000 people per day during
the 2010 Winter Olympics and plans to upgrade facilities to accommodate the Airbus 380, the world's
largest jumbo, by 2009. In 2005, the airport expects 16.4 million travelers, rising to 21.1 million in 2010.
Two U.S. airlines add surveillance cameras
JetBlue and SunCountry Airlines have installed surveillance cameras on their jets that will allow pilots
to montor passengers. The airlines say the cameras are part of an effort to avert a 9/11-style hijacking.
The Washington Times reports they could aid pilots in a situation where knowing what's happening in the
main cabin could determine how to react in a crisis. For example, The Times cites the 9/11 commission report,
which speculates that "perhaps the terrorists stabbed the flight attendants to get a cockpit key, to force one
of them to open the cockpit door, or to lure the captain or first officer out of the cockpit." In that
situation, proponents say cameras could help pilots maintain the upper hand.
Boeing 787 lavatories will have a 'view'
The next time you use an airplane lavatory, don't be surprised if you get a window seat. Yes, that's
right! Boeing plans to offer "restrooms with a view as standard equipment" on its new 787 jetliner
model, according to the Akron Beacon-Journal . That move comes as airlines increasingly turn to
aircraft amenities to stand out from competitors, and more in-cabin perks are likely in the future.
Airbus promises the A380 "superjumbo" jet will set the bar for amenities. The massive plane
designed to hold 550 or more passengers will give airlines options to install passenger showers,
duty-free shops and a "sort of flat-panel waterfall." Even the manufacturers of smaller planes are
getting in on the act. Regional jet-maker Embraer is touting what it calls a "double-bubble" design
thatallows it to add more headroom than on previous regional-jet models. Of course, the improved
amenities end at legroom. It's up to the airlines to decide how to configure their seating arrangements
and the airlines say it costs them revenue for every extra inch of legroom they add.
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