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Aviation History
1919
1919 - 1296.PDF
im SEPTEMEER 25, 1919 LONDON-PARIS AIR SERVICE ON the completion of the first month of the daily aero plane service between London and Paris, organised by Air craft Transport & Travel, we have received from the Chairman, Mr. G. Holt Thomas, some particulars of the results obtained. Mr. Holt Thomas started this service on August 25 to demonstrate to the business world, by actual daily flying, that aeroplanes will not only transport passengers and goods at 100 miles an hour, but will do so commercially to a fixed time-table, and the first month's work—-which has demon strated, day by day, the fact that, for the first time in the history of mankind, London and Paris are, by " air express," only i\ hours' distant from each other—is a record of which Aircraft Transport & Travel may well be proud. Out of a possible 56 flights between London and Paris during this first four weeks, they have satisfactorily completed 54. On one occasion, when there was a 100 miles an hour hurricane, it was considered advisable to divert the load of a machine to an alternative route ; and on another occasion, after start ing a flight rather late owing to atrociously bad weather, a pilot had a forced landing through oil pressure trouble, which so delayed him that he considered it unwise to proceed owing to the impending darkness. As showing the dependability in operation which can be attained already with a suitable aeroplane, when handled with skill, it is emphasised that only twice, during 13,750 miles flying, has it been necessary for a pilot to make a compulsory descent ; and in one of these two cases, after five minutes' delay, he was in the air again. Mr. Holt Thomas has been asked why they chose London- Paris as a demonstration route, seeing that the weather encountered is probably the worst in the world. His reply is that they selected that route deliberately. They were confident of their pilots and machines. They knew the belief which was prevalent that commercial flying was only a fair weather proposition. They said to themselves, " If we can fly reliably on this route we can go with confidence London to Brussels Air Service THE Handley Page London-Brussels air service com menced on Wednesday, the same type of machine being used as that which is so successfully carrying on the London- Paris service. Ten passengers with 30 lb. each of personal luggage, in addition to 500 lb. of general freight, can be carried. The seats are numbered and can be booked at all the usual agents or at Handley Page Transport (Ltd.), Cricklewood. Private landaulettes will await the passengers at each aero drome and convey them to the centre of the city. The ser vice will leave London on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, returning on Tuesdays. Thursdays, and Saturdays. anywherejelse in the~world." In the month's weather they have just flown through the official reports show that on only three days were conditions really favourable. On 13 days they were distinctly unfavourable, while on eight days, though their machines actually got through, the official reports showed that the conditions were considered " unfit " for flying. Mr. Holt Thomas adds that the credit for this month's really wonderful flying, which has done more than anything else has ever done to convince thinking people that the era of commercial flying has already dawned, is due entirely to the ex-officers and pilots who, under his direction, have organised and flown this service. In their capacity as in defatigable organisers he pays sincere tribute to Brig.-Gen. F. L. Festing, C.B., C.M.G., who resigned his post as Deputy Master General of Personnel at the Air Ministry to join Mr. Thomas as Managing-Director of Aircraft Transport and Travel ; also to Capt. D. M. Greig, O.B.E., late of the Depart ment of Aircraft Production ; while last, but far from least, he pays tribute to those pilots—the finest he is convinced in the world—who have flown through weather which even experts have considered impossible. To these pioneers of commercial flying—to Capt. Baylis, Capt. Riley, Lieut. Shaw, Lieut. Lawford and Lieut. McMullin—they owed a debt of gratitude it was hard to express in words. Their fiying, their enthusiasm, their good judgment—.these had been magnificent. To use this 100 miles-an-hour service on urgent occasions when " time is money " is, as Mr. Thomas points out, not only a sound business proposition—as those who are now using it daily would be the first to testify—but it is something far more than this. It is a definite encouragement to British aviation, which, first as it was in war, is now faced with the task of maintaining that proud position during the days of peace, a task which it can only hope to accomplish by the interest and support of the public. The Business Aeroplane HAVING decided to employ an aeroplane as part of its regular organisation, Messrs. S. Instone and Co., steamship owners and general export and import merchants, of Cardiff. have purchased from the Air Ministry a large machine with Rolls-Royce engines, and have engaged as pilot Lieut. F. L. Barnard, who holds the record number of cross-Channel flights. Besides using the machine for the purpose of transporting urgent papers, samples, etc., the firm intends that it shall be utilised to enable heads of departments to get into personal touch quickly with foreign buyers. The Edmond de Marcay single-seater biplane, which, piloted by Lieut. Lebeau, at Villacoublay, attained speeds of 156 m.p.h. level, 147 m.p.h. at 10,000 ft., and 129 m.p.h. at 20,000 ft. It is fitted with a 300 h.p- Hispano-Suiza engine, and has a span of 30 ft. 4 ins., overall length of 21 ft. 4 ins., and a useful load of 745 lbs. Its factor of safety is 14. I298
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