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Aviation History
1921
1921 - 0607.PDF
SEPTEMBER 8, 1921 LONDON TERMINAL AERODROME Monday Evening, September 5 • THE number of passengers through the Customs' this week has amounted to 415, which does not show too great a falling off when compared with previous weekly totals this summer. What is most noticeable, however, is the big influx of passengers from the continent. Last week the total for all lines—British, French, Belgian and Dutch—outwards from Croydon was onh7 188, while the inward passengers totalled 227. The explanation has been advanced that the flood of American tourists is now flowing in the direction of America, and that although they are still coming from the continent by air to London and thence to the American boats, few are travelling to the continent. There is probably a great deal to be said for this argument, as the Amsterdam and Brussels routes, which do not carry many Americans, have hardly been affected. The K.L.M. have carried during the week 28 passengers, which is about their usual number ; but the passenger traffic is very jerky and unreliable. Whether this London-Amsterdam traffic could be built up or not remains to be seen. Light should be thrown on the problem when the rumoured new companies Commence operations. As things are at present, there is certainly not enough traffic in goods and passengers for more than one com- pany ; while it is doubtful if a single company, operating with big machines, could get full loads. Plans for Winter Flying WHEN the change from summer-time to Greenwich mean time takes place, the K.L.M. propose to alter the time of their services to 10.30 a.m. in each direction, and if— through weather or other conditions—the start is delayed beyond 1 p.m.. to cancel the flight for the day. This rule is, I understand, hard-and-fast, -\nd is based apparently on the slow speed of the Fokker monoplanes against a head-wind, and also on account of the mists which creep over the lowlands of Holland at quite an early hour in the afternoon. There are, however, in the light of experience, shown to be many days when, with a following wind, and meteorological conditions against the formation of mist, it would be perfectly . safe to leave one of the terminal aerodromes after 1 p.m., and when the winter service is actually working this will no doubt be done. The log-books of the Fokker monoplanes show a peculiar state of affairs. On one da3r there will be an entry showing the pilot as British, and the page will bear the British Cus- toms' stamp. On another occasion the pilot will be Dutch, and then there will come an entrv—-when the machine has been on the Amsterdam-Hamburg route—where the pilot is shown to be a German, and the page is stamped with the German Customs' stamp. I do not think that this could happen on any other air line, and it is due to the fact that the Dutch company have had to get their pilots—with one or two exceptions—outside their own country, and thus there are British, Dutch and German pilots all flying the same machine. The Guarding of the 'Drome THE police who have guarded the aerodrome, regulated the crowds during week-ends, and grown vegetables in their spare time, have now been replaced by a number of police pensioners. The general cry for economy has apparently been heard in the Air Ministry, for it is stated that there will be a considerable saving on this item. When the police were on guard at the 'drome quarters had to be found for them, and all expenses in connection with them had to be paid by the Civil Department of the Air Ministry. This came to a formidable sum each year. With the new arrangement, however, the police pensioners sleep at home and come on duty like any other employ6 of the aerodrome, no quarters having to be found for them—which, of course, means a •considerable saving. The Instone Air Line have carriec1 less than 100 passenger this week, which is a big Crop from the 180 of a few weeks ago. The Vickers-" Vimy " has had a change of engines over the week-end, and is being tested today before going on the Paris service tomorrow. - Mr. Barnard had a nasty apcident with his motor-bicycle and side-car on Tuesday evening. He was attempting to pass a steam-lorry on the road from the aerodrome to Croydon, and, just as he drew level with the lorry, it began to turn into a side entry. Mr. Barnard accelerated in order to pass in front of it, but was too late, and his motor-cycle caught the front wheel of the lorry. ~ .--••. Both Mr. Barnard and Mr. Grace, the A.I.D. Inspector on the aerodrome—who was in the side-car—were very badly injured, and Mr. Barnard's dog "Brown" had its front legs broken. At the time of writing both Mr. Barnard and Mr. Grace; wh^ are in the Croydon General Hospital, are progress- ing as well as can be expected. During Mr. Barnard's absence, Mr. Game is in charge of the aerodrome end of the Instone Air Line. Improved Facilities for Passengers ANOTHER large stretch of tarmac is being laid down in the Customs enclosure where passengers embark in the machines. This should go a long way towards keeping the feet-of winter passengers dry. Up to the present the method of embarking passengers has been very amateurish, and not worthy of the world's finest air-port. Machines have been drawing up anywhere where there was room, and passengers have had to " wade " out, often" through long wet grass, to them. Grands Express are gradually enlarging their fleet of " Goliaths.' New machines have been seen at Croydon lately, and Mr. Bouderie tells me that his company have now ten " Goliaihs " on the service. There is probably no other fleet of " air expresses " in the world with the same amount of accommodation. The Grands Express total of passengers for last week was only 98. On Friday, in fact, one of the Goliaths left Croydon without a single passenger—an event, so Mr. Bouderie informs me, which has not occurred before since March 1 last. On Wednesday,, Maj. De Havilland left Croydon en route for Madrid on a Bristol aeroplane with the Spanish military " rings " as well as the international registration mark painted on wings and fuselage. It is understood that the machine is for use against the Moors in Morocco. More Work for Pilots THE following day, Thursday, Mr. Leslie Tait-Cox left for Madrid on a Bristol " tourer " with Spanish registration marks. He was extremely dubious as to his chances of getting beyond the Spanish frontier aerodrome at San Sebastian, as he believed that the Spanish military authorities were requisitioning all Spanish civil machines. Mr. Tait-Cox tells me that the firm of Tait-Cox and James, test pilots, are extremely busy, and could find work for half- a-dozen pilots. It is clear that the Bristol Aeroplane Com- pany are having a difficulty in finding pilots to fly their " tourers " to Spain, as they had evidently made it worth while for Mr. Tait-Cox to desert his business here and fly one of these machines to Madrid. The fact that Maj. De Havil- land had come from Spain to collect the other machine also points to a shortage of good pilots. Messageries Aeriennes have carried 66 passengers between London and Paris during the week, and are, in common with the other air-lines, finding it difficult to get passengers to Paris. They cancelled their Sunday service yesterday, owing to there being no passengers booked. The accident to the S'.N.E.T.A. " Goliath " last week has not affected the bookings to Brussels. There have been 33 passengers between London and Brussels this week, which is quite up to—if not above—the average on this route. There was a parcel for Brussels this morning which, according to the consignment note, contained two brace of partridges. Judging by the odour escaping from the parcel, these should be in ideal condition for the epicure if the pilot makes an extra-rapid journey ; otherwise ! More Handley Page Festivities THE life of anyone on the staff of the Handley Page Trans- port appears to be one long round of gaiety. Following on the visit to the Duke of York's Theatre, and the outing to Brighton, Mr. Handley Page invited them to his house at Stanmore on Sunday. The party arrived there about 2.30 p.m., and spent the afternoon strenuously, with tennis, raquets and cricket-bats. Tea was served on the lawns, and, everyone concerned had a very enjoyable time. The number of passengers carried by this pioneer air line is creep- ing up, and last week the total was 89. The W. 8 has arrived at Croydon, and is undergoing extensive tests before being placed on the service. Mr. Hey, the meteorologist-in-charge, is having a busy time, several of his staff being away on leave. These have been replaced by men sent to Croydon to train as technical meteorological assistants ; so that, in addition to being short-handed, there is more work to do. The Bandon Hill Cricket Club sent a strong team to the aerodrome yesterday, and avenged in no uncertain way their previous defeat earlier in the season. Capt. Muir, of the Surrey Flying Services, had a busy week-end with joy-riders, quite good business being done. 607 •7
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