Replies to post #13453 on Baltia Air Lines Inc. (fka BLTA)

[2fer1]

Most here have been waiting a loooong time already. Your friends disclosure, if true, is that the radios or electronics are not compatible, not the plane itself. Not a major problem in of itself, but again if true, raises questions about the competence of this group. I hope your buddy is wrong about the company having major problems. Thanks for your input though.

[lightnin]

Are there any possibilities rooms of making this craft compliant? If so how much work is needed? Lieutenant have you heard any of this news u keep in close contact with the crew.

[flyskibum]

I got to reply to this one.. Really?.. Your source has no clue..... the radios have COMPLETE compatibility with european frequencies.. geez.. if they were compatible 10 years ago, 15 years ago, they have the same capabilities to transmit and receive today....

why do people put out false info is just bewildering to me...

[Pipa]

"the plane they have is not currently compatible with European frequencies"

Sounds like a car that needs a different stereo...There must be a ton of 747s out there with the right unit...lol
As to all the other "major problems", how about some specifics
of your source who just happens to know one of the FAA inspectors
working on the Baltia project...give me a break.

[GreekInvestor]

N623US (now N706BL) was a Northwest Airlines 747-200 based out of SFO (and later Minneapolis), flying round trip to AMS (Amsterdam, located in Europe for those that don't know). Trips were also made to Germany. The aircraft was flying to Europe as recently as August, 2008.

Did "European frequencies etc" all the sudden change in the last 3-4 years? I must have missed the article that said airlines had to convert their Europe-bound aircraft to make them all "compatible with European frequencies etc".


QUOTE: "but my source indicates that the plane they have is not currently compatible with Euorpean frequencies etc"

[mysterymeat]

I wouldn't put too much faith in that source's claims about the frequencies.

Aviation ICAO

Global aviation
Not your average spectrum user


Loftur Jónasson, Technical Officer, International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO)

The aviation sector is characterized by aeronautical and safety-related factors that distinguish it from other frequency spectrum users. This article discusses three WRC-12 agenda items which are of major interest to the global aviation community.

Modern airliners travel at speeds of up to 1000 km/h. In busy airspaces, aircraft are separated by distances which are covered in mere seconds. They travel over vast, often intercontinental distances. The equipment carried on board needs to be compatible with the services provided at airports around the world. Every kilo added to the weight of airborne equipment adds to the fuel consumption of the aircraft. For economic reasons, there is little room for redundant equipment.

Today’s commercial aircraft are equipped with two to four VHF radios, voice and digital link. They may also carry two HF radios and a dual-redundant satellite communications link. There are also precision radionavigation and landing systems, radio altimeters, radar transponders, airborne collision avoidance systems, weather radar and so on.

There are approximately 30 antennas or more on an average-sized modern aircraft; a modern Boeing 747-400 has between 40 and 50 antennas fitted. Needless to say, for global and airborne communications, navigation and surveillance (CNS) operations to work effectively in the confined environment of these aircraft, careful consideration needs to be given to the spectrum used.

ICAO standardization

The Convention on International Civil Aviation is an international treaty providing the required provisions for flights over the territories of the 191 ICAO Member States and over the high seas. It includes measures to facilitate air navigation, including international standards and recommended practices (SARPs).

The ICAO standards constitute rule of law through the ICAO Convention and form a regulatory framework for aviation, covering personnel licensing, technical requirements for aircraft operations, airworthiness requirements, aerodromes, and CNS systems, as well as other technical and operational requirements.

Aeronautical CNS systems provide functions critical to the safety of aircraft and rely on the continued availability of appropriate frequency spectrum. Civil aviation administrations coordinate their positions on the agenda of world radiocommunication conferences (WRCs) through the development of a common ICAO position catering to the continued and evolving spectrum requirements of CNS services.

Three spectrum concerns have been highlighted as high priority areas for the global aviation community during WRC-12: unmanned aircraft systems; aeronautical safety allocations; and requirements for the aeronautical mobile satellite (route) service.

http://www.itu.int/net/newsroom/wrc/2012/features/aviation_icao.aspx

[hazesky]

I find it hard to believe any 747 would not be compatiable with Europe radio frequencies, not like they were designed for domestic routes.