European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - March 6, 1986, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 6 the stars and stripes wednesday March 6, 1986 jetliner flew within 500 feet of Small plane Faa reports Chicago a an american airlines jetliner flew within 500 feet of a Small plane Over Michigan in what the airline Pilot called a near collision Federal air safety officials reported the Pilot As saying. The Pilot of the Airliner a do Ioen route from Detroit metro Airport to o Hare International Airport As flight 435, said he planned to file a report on the incident said Mort Edelstein a Federal aviation administration spokesman. The Pilot who was not identified said he was flying at 10,000 feet about 10 Miles Southwest of Salem mich., when he spotted a Small plane at the same level and Only 500 feet away said Edelstein. Retired army officer who had Marcos As aide in Wii Dies Saratoga Calif. A retired army col. Gus c. Francis who according to his family was the command ing officer of deposed philippine Leader Ferdinand Marcos in the Early Days of world War ii has died at age 70. Francis was a Battery commander in the philippine scout division which included american and filipino soldiers who fought until the islands fell to the japanese in april 1942. During that period Marcos was his aide family members said. Francis the Utah born son of greek immigrants never talked much about his experiences said his daughter Ste Phanie Jewell in an interview. Of her father s association with Marcos she said he told us Marcos was his aide but he did t say much More about  Francis was among some 70,000 american and filipino soldiers captured by the japanese and forced into the Bataan death March a 70-mile March and 23-mile rail Road journey during which some 9,000 soldiers died. Japanese donate $100,000 to astronaut Mcauliffe s school Concord . Up japanese officials Honor ing the seven Brave challenger astronauts donated $100,000 to Christa Mcauliffe s High school tuesday in memory of her quest to link students to space exploration. I feel so sad because of the terrible loss of mrs. Mcauliffe said Sadakazu Taniguchi Japan s Consul general for Boston. Out of our deep grief it is our Humble gift. The gift will contribute to the legacy of mrs.  about 200 Concord High school students teachers and administrators packed a Small auditorium and gave Taniguchi a 35-second standing ovation. Mark Beauvais school superintendent said the $100,000 is the largest contribution the red Brick school in new Hamp Shire s capital has received since Mcauliffe died in challenger s explosion seconds after Takeoff Jan. 28. Taniguchi said $80,000 was donated from the space activities promotion Council in Japan while the remain Der came from japanese citizens and students. Blast fire Cut Power for 3 hours to nearly 75% of alaskans Anchorage Alaska a an explosion and fire at a generating station Cut Power for up to three hours to nearly 75 percent of Alaska s 500,000 residents and injured two workers officials said. The fire was brought quickly under control and electricity was restored to customers in Anchorage and sur rounding areas of South Central Alaska said Churach electric association spokeswoman Bonnie Jack. Kickoff Skywalker a photo As crowds nearly 20 floors below watch a Tightrope Walker Jay Cochrane crosses a Cable Between the tops of two buildings at Birmingham Ala. His walk on a 300-foot Cable nearly 200 feet above the City s downtown area kicks off a drive to lift Birmingham chamber of Commerce membership to new Heights and his shirt reads join the  Halfway through the hair raising walk die Canadian daredevil put his 30-foot, 40-Pound balancing pole on one knee and waved to the hundreds of people below drawing cheers and applause. After the walk he expressed his Relief and said if it was easy everybody would be doing it would t they air Force begins taking bids for proposed stealth fighter Washington a the air Force is collecting first round bids on a new stealth fighter that it Hopes will Rule the skies by the mid-1990s. Seven of the nation s biggest aerospace contractors Are trying to show the air Force they can build 750 advanced tactical fighters for an estimated $35 million apiece and financial documents supporting their bids were to be submitted wednesday. The air Force wants the plane to replace the f-15, a medium Range dog fighter that first flew in 1972. It also May replace the f-16 for hitting ground targets and the Navy is watching to see whether the new fighter can take the place of the f-14s it uses to protect ships at sea. The stealth fighter will be designed to protect ground forces and Knock out enemy fighters and airborne warning and control systems planes Clearing the air for other . Fighters bombers transports and reconnaissance Craft said col. Albert c. Piccirillo director of the air Force program to develop the new fighter. The Mission is air superiority Piccirillo said tuesday at his office at Wright Patterson fab near Dayton Ohio. It is going to Fly supersonic very High very fast very  the plane still on the drawing Board will be made largely of composite materials and will use an array of new technology ranging from so called stealth devices to hide it from enemy radar to engines that can Fly efficiently at nearly twice the Speed of sound at 50,000 feet above sea level. Most fighters now cruise More efficiently at subsonic speeds pouring on fuel to break through the sound Barrier for limited periods of combat. The Speed of sound is about 660 Mph at 30,000 feet above sea level. The air Force wants a plane that has twice the combat Range of the f-15 and can turn in half the space. The f-15 loses Maneule ability in supersonic flight and needs an 8,000 foot runway and a Large maintenance Crew. Those Are three drawbacks the new fighter will be designed to counter. The stealth plane will land and take off in less than 2,000 feet and will have advanced systems to pinpoint maintenance problems cutting the size of the ground Crew Piccirillo said. It will be Able to make a 500-mile flight from bases in great Britain to anticipated combat areas Over Germany at speeds approaching twice the Speed of sound according to Piccirillo. For the past three years the Pratt & Whitney division of the United technologies corp. And general electric co. Have been under contract with the air Force to develop the engines for the new fighter. Career officer named to no. 2 intelligence Post Washington a president Reagan has named career officer Robert m. Gates As the nation s no. 2 intelligence officer to replace Deputy Cia director John n. Mcmahon who resigned for per Sonal reasons after 34 years in the Intelli gence service. Mcmahon s resignation announced by the White House late tuesday was hailed by two conservative lobbying groups. The Washington Post in wednesday s editions said the groups free the Eagle and the federation for american afghan action had mounted nationwide letter writing campaigns calling for Mcmahon s removal. The two groups blamed him for holding up supplies of More effective weapons including anti aircraft missiles to the anti communist resistance in Afghanistan the Post reported. Mcmahon 56, a 34-year Veteran of intelligence work gave no explanation for his resignation other than to say in a letter to Reagan he had reached a stage where i should move  the White House statement cited per Sonal reasons for the Deputy s departure which is to be effective March 29. But the Post quoting unidentified administration sources said Mcmahon who has opposed the Reagan adm stration s expansion of Covert operations in third world conflicts decided to leave after an inter Agency group decided to escalate four Para military operations. The Post s sources would not specify the countries involved but indicated that they were mentioned in re cent administration statements. Those countries Are Afghanistan Nicaragua an Gola and Cambodia the Post said. Mcmahon was against increased . Involvement in third world conflicts that he believed could not win Long term Politi Cal support at Home the newspaper said. It described him As the Agency s  the Post also reported that Mcmahon opposed expansion of the -backed paramilitary operation against the leftist sandinista government in Nicaragua and said Mcmahon had grown increasingly upset about the defense department s growing role in developing its paramilitary capabilities for Covert operations. The White House statement said Reagan accepted Mcmahon s resignation with re Gret and praised the Deputy chiefs Long years of service to the nation. Gates the Central intelligence Agency s Deputy director for intelligence and a specialist in soviet and Eastern european affairs has served two Tours on the National Security Council staff As its intelligence chief. Gates 42, holds a doctoral degree from Georgetown University and has been associated with the Cia for 20 years serv ing most of that time at the Agency s head quarters in Langley va., just outside Washington. In a letter dated feb. 24 but not released until the resignation was announced Mcmahon told Reagan with Over 34 years in intelligence 1 have reached a stage where i should move  he said he did so with mixed emotions but with the satisfaction and Confidence that . Intelligence has never been better thanks to the resources you have placed into our intelligence Effort and the Strong sup port you have Given our intelligence pro