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Aviation History
1920
1920 - 0023.PDF
JANUARY I, 1920 Sections—native bearers will have to be used for the carriage of stores. Shortage of water and the frequent occurrence of areas infested by mosquitoes and white ants increase the difficulties. The fact that the survey parties have, in the face of such obstacles, completed their work within twelve months is worthy of notice. " For most of the southern section, with the exception of Northern Rhodesia, conditions are considerably better. Railway and telegraph facilities are good, and stores can be distributed without much difficulty. The climate, too, is healthy, and forced landings could be negotiated in many places without serious danger. " Communications " There are wireless stations at various points within touch of the chain of grounds. Generally speaking, cable and land line communications are good, with the exception of those across certain sections such as that between Abercorn and N'dola and others in Central Africa, where considerable delay may be experienced. " Comparative Overland Journey " In view of the saving of time which will be effected by the eventual opening of this air route it is of interest to compare the time at present required to complete the journey overland. " The distances and method of overland journey following as nearly as possible suggested aerial route are :— " Cairo to Khartoum— -;~ . ..;.....-- <- " 1,342 miles—31 to 4 days. • r-r • : - ^ :, ,,• " Rail Ciaro to Shellal, 555 miles, 23 hours. ~ ' " Steamer Shellal to Haifa, 208 miles, 42 hours. Rail Haifa to Khartoum, 579 miles, 24 hours. " Khartoum to Lake Albert— ' " 1,411 miles, 21 to 24 days. " Steamer Khartoum to Redjaf, .1,096 miles, 14 days. " Ground transport, Redjaf to Nimule, 150 miles, 5 to 8 days. " Steamer, Nimule to Butiaba, 165 miles, 2 days. " Lake Albert to Lake Victoria— ..?-• " 350 miles, 5 to 12 days. • -.: • . . -. s " Ground transport, Butiaba to Entebbe, 100 miles,~4 to 10 days. " Steamer Entebbe to Muanza, 170 miles, 1 to 2 days. " Lake Victoria to Lake Tanganyika— " 810 miles, 15 days.* " Ground transport, Mwauza to Tabora, 200 miles, 10 days.* " Rail, Tabora to Kigama, 260 miles, 2 days. " Steamer Kigama to Abercorn, 350 miles, 3 days.* " The steamer service is uncertain. " Abercorn to Broken Hill— " 475 miles, 10 to 15 days. < _ " Ground transport, 475 miles, 10 to 15 days. " Broken Hill to Cape Town— " 1,836 miles, 4^ days. " Rail, Broken Hill to Bulawayo, 473 miles, 1J days. " Rail, Bulawayo to Cape Town, 1,362 miles, 3 days. 1 '" (' Ground transport ' may include motor, horse or bullock wagon or any form of local transport.) " Thus the total distance by existing methods of com- munication is 6,223 miles, for which 59 to 74^ days would be required. Against this the total flying distance of the aerial route should not exceed 5,200 miles, as the pilot will stop only at the main stations. Taking 100 miles an hour as fair average flying speed, under favourable conditions, and when the route has become firmly established, only 52 hours actual flying time would be required to traverse the entire continent, or, say, about a week, flying 8 hours per day. " The survey parties everywhere met witli the greatest assistance and co-operation from the various local authorities, who evinced the utmost enthusiasm for the project. Such whole-hearted assistance has been invaluable, and it is certain that had it not been forthcoming the work could never have progressed as it has done. " This co-operation, indeed, has been a mostTencouraging feature throughout the period of prospecting, and^is^a happy omen for the successful opening of the route. • Any estimate of time must only be very approximate, as a journeywould te governed by the state of the track. The Funeral of Sir John Alcock IMPRESSIVE scenes marked the funeral, with military honours, of Sir John Alcock at Manchester on December 27. The body had rested from Christmas Day in the Church of Holy Innocents, Fallowfield ; after a brief service it was taken to Manchester Cathedral, for the funeral service and the burial took place at the Southern Cemetery. A Royal Air Force firing party came at the head of the pro- cession, and buglers with them. Maj.-Gen. Swinton C.B., D.S.O., officially represented the Royal Air Force, and Squadron-Leader E. R. Moon, D.S.O.-, the Minister for War. The committal sentences and the concluding prayers having been said, three volleys were fired and the " Last Post " was sounded, two aeroplanes meanwhile circling overhead. Simultaneously a memorial service was held at St. Paul's, Knightsbridge, and among the large congregation were Sir Trevor Dawson, many representatives of Messrs. Vickers, Ltd., and prominent members of the Royal Aero Club and the Royal Aeronautical Society. The King and Prince Albert have sent messages of sympathy to Mr. and Mrs. Alcock. The King's message, forwarded by Lieut.-Col. Clive Wigram, was as follows :— " The King desires me to express his deep sympathy with you in the untimely and tragic death of your distinguished son, whose name will ever occupy an honoured place in the roll of British airmen who never spared themselves in order to uphold the honour of their country. It was with pleasure His Majesty recently decorated your son for his great feat in crossing the Atlantic, and the King feels that the early close in the prime of manhood of so valuable a life is an irreparable loss." The message from Prince Albert read :—" I am desired by His Royal Highness Prince Albert to express to you his deep and sincere sympathy for the loss of your gallant son. Your son's services to his country, both in war and peace, will ever be remembered." The Aero Club of America cabled :—" Please convey to Sir John Alcock's family our deepest condolences and ex- press on behalf of American aeronautical world our realisa- tion of the great and irreparable loss sustained." Capt. Howell's Body Recovered WORD came from Lloyd's agent at Corfu on Decem- ber 24 that the body of Capt. Howell, the pilot of the Martin- syde machine which was flying to Australia, had been re- covered and reverently buried below Beautiful Mountain. The body of Air-Mech. Fraser had not been recovered. T Owing to bad weather it had been impossible to salve the^machine which had become a total wreck. Sir Ross Smith's Flight AFTER a succession of adventures Sir Ross^Smith and his companions, during their attempt to fly from Port Darwin to Melbourne, met with anrther mishap at Charleville, in Queensland, about 1,473 miles from Port Darwin and 923 miles from Melbourne. After patching up the propeller at Anthony Lagoon, the Vickers-Vimy-Rolls flew via Cloncurry and Long Reach to Charleville, and it was at first decided to complete the journey by train, but later messages indicate that repairs may be carried out and the journey completed. It is stated that the trouble with the propeller was originally due to a hawk at Calcutta, which flew into the propeller and cracked it. A New Machine for Poulet ALTHOUGH a message from Rangoon on December 12 announced that, following trouble with a propeller and then with one of his engines, Poulet had decided to pack up his machine and return to France, word comes from Paris that his friends in France have bought him a new Caudron which has already been shipped from Marseilles to Calcutta, and that he will continue his flight to Australia. The New Antarctic Expedition . • : ™i;*' r FURTHER^ progress in connection with the proposed expedition to~the Antarctic in 1922 was made at the meeting at the Mansion House last week, at which Mr. J. L. Cope, the leader, outlined his plans. It was explained that aircraft will be taken, and part of the survey of the continent will, it is hoped, be carried out by means of aeroplanes. Repre- sentatives of the Air Ministry attended the meeting. Canadian Ace Dead THE Canadian Air Service has suffered a grievous loss by the death of Major A. E. McKeever, following an operation necessitated by injuries received in a motor-car accident at Toronto. German Airmen Still Here IN the statement issued by the War Office announcing that a party of German officers and other ranks had embarked on Saturday' for Germany, it was explained that with the exception of airmen and the naval prisoners concerned in the Scapa Flow sinkings, practically all the German prisoners of War have now left the United Kingdom 21
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