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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Goderich Signal-Star, 1986-05-14, Page 22ITt U itV • Entertainment • Features • Religion • Family • More SECTION At() Business Air Services supplies charter air service predominantly for Champion Road Machinery of Goderich. At left, the Goderich Municipal Airport terminal. The airport has approximately 14,500 landings a year. ( photos by Sharon Dietz ) BY SHARON DIETZ A Goderich pilot, who has been flying commercially since 1956, testified at the hydro hearings in Clinton last week that turbulence and the lack of altitude preci- sion will cause planes to be very close to a proposed hydro transmission line as they approach runway 1028 at the Goderich Municipal Airport to land. Murray Ward, chief pilot for Business Air Services, testified it is very difficult to maintain a constant altitude .in the gusty south west wind, which sweeps across the Maitland River valley, as the planes ap- proach the runway from, the east. Ward said the strong south west wind causes wind sheer on the east - west approach which causes the plane to lose altitude sud- denly and unexpectedly. Wind sheer can also cause a change in the speed of the air- craft which is very critical to a jet on ap- proach, because the speed is not to change. A jet can drop 200 to 300 feet in a severe wind sheer during a thunderstorm, said Ward. The town of ,Goderich and the Goderich Municipal Airport are presenting evidence at the hearings to support their contention that the proposed hydro transmission cor- ridor from the Bruce Nuclear Power Development through Huron County to London poses a -serious safety ,threat to pilots attempting -to' land at the airport on an approach from the east. The Con- soldiated Hearings Board comprised of two members of the Ontario Municipal Board and one member of the En- vironmental Assessment Board has been hearing submissions from groups and in- dividuals since November, 1985. They con- ducted hearings in Guelph, Markdale and London before coming to Clinton. Ward testified that when a pilot is .preparing to make a landing at the -Goderirh airport he radios London for an altitmeter reading to calculate the altitude level of the plane, if he cannot raise anyone on the radio in Goderich where the radio is only manned a third of the time. Ward ex- plained that the altimeter setting at ydro tower are threat says pilot Goderich can be much different than at London due to barometric pressure. The pilot must make the necessary allowance by adding 230 feet to the -London altimeter reading to stay clear of obstructions. After the pilot crosses the Business Air Services beacon at a minimum altitude of 1600 feet above sea level, the pilot d'e'scends to 519 feet and with associated turbulence and lack of altimeter precision, he will be very close to the preferred transmission route, said Ward. "Many companies do not allow their planes to make circling approaches to any airport because of the hazard to safety that ( sic) it is not permitted in their operation manuals, observed Ward. "Altimeter error based on a London set- ting, wind sheer, wind turbulence and slight pilot error causing loss, of altitude could result in a loss of 230 feet and the most westerly transmission route would present a safety, hazard in my opinion," said Ward. Ward continued by pointing out that a pilot approaching Goderich airport can on- ly raise the London radio if he is above 2,000 to 2,500 feet. The radio will not work below that range. A pilot can get a reading from London before he leaves Toronto and under normal conditions he could rely on that reading from 45 - 50 minutes it takes to get to Goderich. Ward pointed out however, that in the winter time the weather can change in five minutes with snow squallti coming in off the lake. Board member Ward Rodman asked where the pilot circles the airport while at- tempting to land the plane. Ward testified the pilot could wander over into the area,.. where the towers are, very easily while staying within the required 1 'mile visibili- ty range of the airport, as they circle back to make their fihal approach. Ward said if the pilot is using the accurate altitmeter reading for the Goderich approach, he would be circling at 519 feet. Ward admitted 200 feet is a very ex- treme variation on flight level due to wind sheer or turbulence. "It frightens me that you could go below 200 feet in extreme wind sheer conditions," said Rodman. Ward replied that 747s can drop 300 feet on the approach in extreme turbulence. With the bigger planes a longer recovery action is required, said Ward, meaning it takes longer to recover the altitude. It is more important for recovery time for large jets, he added. Ward also explained that a single pilot doesn't have the guidance from "someone in the right seat (co-pilot)". "It's hard to get visual contact as to where you are, as you make the right -turn (in the circling procedure as the pilot approaches runway 28 from the east). Rodman made the observation that "if pilots follow proper procedure, they should be able to land (transmission) lines or no lines." Ward replied that landing is one of the biggest frustrations in flying. "You do minimum approaches, go back up for as long as two hours. Naturally you are ner- vous as you make all these approaches, waiting for snow showers to end." said Ward. "The most critical part of the flight is getting the plane down." Ward testified he is concerned about student pilots at- tempting to land at the airport. From his experience teaching students, he said he knows they become disoriented and can pass over several transmission lines before they find therselves. A student pilot on a solo cross country flight has dif- ficulty staying on course and maintaining the flight level. Student pilots can be off by 1,000 feet, said Ward. "That could be a critical error coming in over the hydro lines." If an engine fails on takeoff it is especial- ly critical with older planes because they cannot maintain the rate of climb and there is no chance in the world of getting over the lines, Ward observed. A pilot would have to make a turn and fly parallel to the lines in such a situation. "I'm not saying he could do it," said Ward. "It's a very dangerous situation making a turn on take off with one engine failed. It's almost impossible." Ward said he recommended to Ontario Hydro where the lines should be located and suggested anything east of the Turn to page 2A • Consultant says hydro towers impact on airport BY SHARON DIETZ Advice from individual inspectors for Transport' Canada is "hardly ever consis- tent", the manager of the Goderich airport told the Ontario Hydro hearings in Clinton, May 7. "Every inspector that comes to 'the air- port has a different idea about the height of the trees and whether they encroach on tine transitional zoning," commented Ed Scruton referring to the trees at the west end of the airport runway. Scruton testified that pilots approaching runway 10 from the west have clipped the tops of the trees as they come in to land because wind sheer will cause the plane to drop suddenly and unexpectedly. He explained that even though the plane is aligned properly with the runwa' and is approaching at the pro- per altitude, the wind will suddenly change direction as the plane comes over the trees and the plane loses altitude. Scruton, who has been airport manager for eight years, said Transport Canada in- spectors can be very meticulous at times in their requests for safety. He has been in- structed to trim the tassles from the tops of corn stalks in the cornfields which abound the two grass runways at the airport. He has also been told to grade the six to eight inch edge along the plowed area of the run- way during the winter. Transport Canada is responsible for licensing the airport and establishing safety regulations. Scruton said he was concerned with the responses the airport's consultant Russell Killaire was receiving from Transport Canada, when he inquired whether the air- port., could _still be • licenced, if Ontario Hydro erected a transmission line running from the north to the south 1.8 miles east of runway 1028 at the airport. Scruton said he felt safety was the major priority of Transport Canada and he could not understand their response to the safety of the proposed transmission line. In their reply to Killaire's grhestions, Transport Canada stated• the proposed hydro' towers would not impact on the • licensing of the airport or the operation of the aircraft in the vicinity of the airport. ' Scruton met with two Transport Canada officials and showed them maps which in- dicated Hydro's preferred route just east of the airport and alternate rout es through Auburn and Wingharn. ,The one official, Brian Campbell said he was not aware there was a route acceptable to Hydro which ran through Wingham. Scruton testified he showed them the correspondence Transport: Canada had sent to Killaire and they agreed the lines were not a safe thing and if there was an alternate route, they would prefer the lines go through Wingham. The town of Goderich and the Goderich Municipal Airport are presenting evidence to the Consolidated Hearings Board, an impartial three member board, which Itas been hearing submissions concerning the proposed hydro transmission corridor from the' Bruce Nuclear Power Develop- ment through Huron County to London. The board has been hearing submissions from groups and individuals since the, preliminary hearings opened in Guelph in November, 1985. The'hearings continued in Markdale and London before coming to Clinton. The board held three days of hear- ings last week and Goderirh airport testimony was heard on Tuesday and Wedesday when I hrec witnesses were call- ed. The town of Goderich and the municipal airport contend the proposed transmission lines will pose a serious safety hazard to planes circling the airport in . their ap- proach to runway 28 from the east and on takeoff on runway 10 towards the east. Under cross examination by Hydro lawyer Bruce Campbell, Scruton agreed that Transport Canada has the • respon- sibility for air safety in Canada and it is the major consideration they bring to the execution of their duties. Campbell suggested that he found it an incredible proposition that Transport Canada would tell the airport manager that they would license the airport when they agreed the lines were an unsafe thing. Campbell suggested to Scruton that the Transport Canada officials had said that technically they could license the airport but on the other hand it would be better if the lines wereRast of Carlow. Transport Canada did not actually say the lines in this position are not .a safe tiring, said'Campbell. "They generally agreed lines around the aerodrome are not a safe thing but there are situations they can get around," replied Scruton. "It is their general proposition about the lines, that the further away the better," said Campbell and Scruton agreed. The airport's consultant Russell Killaire testified April 29 when Ire appeared at the hearings,'that he was surprised to find that Transport Canada did not agree that the transmission lines would impact on the airport's outer surface, a horizontal plane 150 feet .above the airport with a radius of 4,000 metres from the centre of the existing runway. The,intention of the outer surface is to prevent the placement of obstructions within that radius which would be hazar- dous to air safety. In Killaire's opinion, the transmission . Turn to page 3A • The Goderirh airport committee on behalf of the town of Goderirh presented evidence at the Onario Hydro hearings in Clinton last week. Members of the Consolidated Hearings Boated include from the left, Jaynes Mills of the Ontario Municipal Board, Robert Eisen of the Environmental Assessment Board and. R. Ward Rodman of the Ontario Mnniclpal Board. An impartial board, they are hearing submissions concerning the proposed hydro transmission corridor from the Bruce Nuetear Power Development through Huron Coun- ty to London. The hoard has been hearing submissions since the hearings opened ha Guelph in November, last year. (photo by Alan Rivett) - Pregnant men Yin i l -=bo• g lin eV I was appalled to learn aver the weekend that card companies have started to make Mother's Day cards for fathers who "have been like mothers" to their children, Does that mean these fathers have nur- tured and cared for their children? Have these fathers changed their children's diapers, heated their bottles, got up for midnight feedings, encouraged their first steps, sewn on their buttons, washed their clothes, wiped away their tears, hugged away their nightmares, attended their school concerts and helped them with their homework? If so, these fathers are to be commend- ed. They've been good and loving parents to their children. But, they've not been mothers. Loving, nurturing and the rest of that gushy stuff is not relegated to motherhood. Fathers can join in anytime. But, that doesn't make them mothers. Even so, I can't help but wonder whether fathers will become mothers if science gets its way. A report in the daily press last week said that the technology exists to enable men to give birth. With the newfound ability to bring life into the world, will these men be mothers or fathers or fothers or what? But, the semantics isn't the only thing that is mind-boggling. Just for fun, let's pretend that the now risk -ridden procedure with which science thinks it could make men mothers has gained widespread popularity and use. What would the world be like if men could get pregnant? The way I` see it, there aren't a lot of logical or economic incentives to become a mother right now. After nine months of physical painful, sometimes life-threatening iscofort, women o pro- cess appropriately called labor and im- mediately become more economically, physically and psychologically dependent. Once they're mothers, women become less marketable in the world of business ;'.but.. more responsible. for the develop- ment { of humanity. (Who else would psychiatrists blame for the world's psychoses if there were no mothers? ) In short, motherhood is not usually one of the contributing factors when one becomes rich and/or famous. (Unless, like Princess Di, your reproductive system produces royal offspring) Of course, that could all change once men become mothers. Once that hap- pens, I envision a revolution of the social, economic, political and cultural kind. Though men have so far reaped great benefits from their freedom from childbearing, you can be sure they will not become second class citizens if they become mothers: Society will change to suit them. The most obvious changes would in- clude legislation that would make motherhood more economically viable. Men would be given economic incen- tives to give birth. For contributing to the future of humanity, men would be en- couraged with open-ended maternity leaves including full pay, benefits and a guaranteed job when they returned. And, for those men who find fulfillment by both parenting and working outside the home, the government would make :workplace daycare centres mandatory so that the demands of childcare wouldn't slow down productivity on the job. Psychological studies would prove without a doubt that children become stronger, more independent, more in- telligent and more Well-balanced when they're placed in the stimulating en- vironment of daycare at an early age. If men gave birth, "welfare mothers" would be non-existant. Giving birth would be likened to serving and giving blood (literally) for your country. Like ar veterans, men would be decorated or difficult births and given a pension or each time they "served." Men would laugh in the face of the mor- ality rates associated with giving birth. hey would brag about their labor pains; t would be macho to go the distance ithout epidurals and other pain killers. Men would find inspiration from the ovie "First Blood" which would detail ambo's first death -defying childbirth xperience while sequels would describe ach ensuing birth in living technicolor. And you can bet that men would not let heir doctors take the credit for "deliver - ng" their babies. If men could go hrough the nine months of carrying their hildren, they would be the ones giving irth. Doctors might be given some redit grudgingly for assisting. YGwig (nen 'rvhv had uauie5 while Still married would not be shunned by ociety or regarded as immoral. Instead, heir budding sexuality would be praised nd they would be chuckled about with hrases such as "boys will be boys" or 'he was just out harvesting his wild ats." Babies, illegitimate or not, would e proud proof of their manhood And, if men could give birth, more of\ hem might develop a deeper concern for he future of the planet. With a greater tense of the cycle of life, they might end he madness of the nuclear arms race. • A maternal instinct shared by all peo- rle could only benefit us all. Let's hope ve don't have to wait until science iterally makes men mothers to find out. 4