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Aviation History
1922
1922 - 0474.PDF
AUGUST 17, 1922 LONDON TERMINAL AERODROME Monday evening, August 14. PASSENGER traffic is now " booming " to such an extent that it is probable all records will be broken this week. Up to Sunday night between 500 and 600 air travellers had parsed through the passport office on the aerodrome, and this number would have been larger still but for the inclement weather in northern France on Sunday. So large was the number of travellers wishing to fly from Paris to London on Sunday that the Daimler Airway despatched three machines from Croydon in the morning, instead of their usual one, in order to bring back passengers from Paris ; while Handley Page Transport sent two machines for the same purpose, The machines had to leave Croydon comparatively empty, as the tide of traffic now appears to have set in from the other side. Booking agencies attribute this to the bad weather, which they say has caused a general curtailment of holi4ays on the Continent, and made people hurry home sooner. British Air Travellers Increasing F AN analysis of the passenger traffic shows that the number of British travellers is increasing steadily. A year ago the average of British to " aliens " was as small as 10 per cent., but last week quite 33 per cent, of the travellers were of British nationality. This is a most encouraging sign, as it is probable that, if the figures could be obtained, a large propor tion of the British passengers would be found to be business people who realise the advantage of air transport. The clergymen who were travellers by Instone last week do not appear to have had much effect on the luck of the Line in the way of forced-landings. Perhaps Major Greer's methods will be more effective. On Saturday a Vickers ""Vulcan," flying from Brussels to Croydon, piloted by Mr. Bradley, ran out of petrol when near Warlingham, and, as owing to the bad weather Mr. Bradley was flying about 100 feet from the ground, he had no time to choose his landing-ground and ran into a hedge, wrecking the machine. His four passengers were, however, uninjured, and Mr. Bradley escaped with nothing worse than a cut on the hand, which was so slight a bandage was unnecessary. On Sunday the new D.H. 34, G—EBBW, which the Instone Line took delivery of on Saturday, set off for Paris, but was compelled to descend at Marden owing to a broken oil-pipe. She flew back to Croydon later. The Instone sheds had an empty appearance on Sunday owing to the fact that all the machines which could be spared from the Brussels service were in Paris ready to bring back a record booking of passengers. New Way of Ending a " Night Out " AT 2 a.m. one morning during the week a motor-car arrived at the aerodrome containing four jovial spirits who demanded to fly to Paris immediately. They had been having a " night " Flight" Copyright. All that happened : When, on alighting after winning the Derby, Mr. James was in danger of running into a crowd of people (who ought not to have been there), he effected a masterly " save " by swerving to the right. His left tyre, as a consequence, came off, but otherwise nothing happened. out "-and had, on the spur of the moment, decided to end up with a night flight to Paris. They were informed that no- night services were running, but that the first machine away would be the Daimler newspaper express at 5.30 a.m. Ihey were nothing daunted by the wait, and settled down in their carfor a nap, eventually embarking on the 5.30 a.m. machine. They returned -on the 5.30 p.m. Daimler from Paris, very well pleased with their trip. The Messageries Aeriennes' service to Marseilles was to- have started this week, and to run on Monday and Friday. As, however, there have been no bookings the London-Paris, section has not been run, but this will be put into operation as soon as passengers are forthcoming. The Messageries have been having bad luck with their newspaper machines during the week, and on Sunday the machine which left Paris in the early morning was amongst the " crowd " held up at Berck. Progress in " Airway " Wireless ONE of the "F.2's" of the K.L.M. has beem fitted? with wireless in Holland, and has been flying between A.msterdarn and Rotterdam for some time. Signals from this' machine, which was working with ground stations in Holland, have been picked up clearly by the operators at Croydon. In fact, the whole of the wireless has been improved to such an extent that it is quite a common occurrence for the Croydon operators to be in touch with a machine the moment it has let out its aerial after ascending from Le Bourget. The wireless-equipped " F.2 " flew from Amsterdam to London on Friday, this being the first time a Dutch machine with wireless has flown to Croydon, and probably the first time a wirelessly-equipped machine has flown on this route. The Grands Express were apparently determined to go one better than carrying little five-year-old George Risser, for on Saturday they had amongst their passengers a baby only eight-months-old. It was a pity that no enterprising press man was able to get the baby's impressions of flying. The work in the passport and immigration office has become so great that the C.A.T.O.'s were unable to look after it in addition to their usual work on the aerodrome, and a special immigration officer is now in charge. In addition there is, of course, the Scotland Yard man who sees that no undesirables go out, while the immigration officer performs a similar function with regard to those attempting to get in. The Surrey Flying Services were busy again during the week-end with their popular 5s. joy-rides. Both Capt. Muir and Mr. Youell were fully occupied on the Clerget and Renault Avros, mainly owing to the efforts of Mr. C. J. -Chamberlain, who is now employed by this Company to assure the crowds which gather in the public enclosure that flying is quite safe. Incidentally, the Surrey Flying Services staff should be able to compile an amusing book on the silly questions and com ments of would-be and actual joy-riders! On Monday, a record day, there were as many as 17a passengers in and out of the air-station, including the 64 American girl-students from Paris, who were brought over in: eight Instone machines—one or two of these 'planes, by the way, delayed by bad weather in France, alighting at Croydon. after dark, and by the aid of the night-lighting. It is interesting to note that 151 of Monday's 170 passengers travelled in British machines ; also that on this record day there were as many as 41 "air expresses " passing to and fro along the airways between London and the Continent. Another item of special interest on Monday was the chartering at the air-station in the evening of an " air-taxi " by a fare who, having-his family on holiday down at Hythe, desired to rejoin them speedily after an urgent visit to town. On Sunday—it now transpires at the moment of writing— Capt. Muir took up as many as 400 " joy-riders." E H H H The Derby Handicap WE have been requested to correct a mistake in the double-page advertisement of the Gloucestershire Aircraft Co. which appeared in last week's issue of FLIGHT. It was stated that the " Mars I " with Napier " Lion " engine was winner of the Derby of 1921, doing fastest time and handicap, and again winner of the Derby, 1922, fastest time and handicap. It will be remembered that last year the " Mars I ** was actually winner of the Derby and first in the Handicap. This year, of course, the Mars I. won the Derby, but was third in the Handicap. The Bristol Monoplane, with 100 h.p. Bristol "Lucifer" engine, was first in the Handicap, and the Bristol " Bullet," with 400 h.p. Bristol " Jupiter," was second in the Handicap. In our table of times, etc., on p. 451, the relative positions both in the Derby and in the Handicap were correctly shown. 474
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