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Aviation History
1925
1925 - 0087.PDF
FEBRUARY 12, 1925 FLYING IN AUSTRALIA OWING to unavoidable absence, Mr. Bert Hinkler was unable to read his paper on "Flying in Australia" before the Institute of Aeronautical Engineers on Friday of last week, February 6. Mr. Hinkler was away at Manchester putting an Avro " Andover " through her paces, and in his absence the paper was very kindly read by Major F. A. de V. Robert- son, who is London representative of our Australian contem- porary, Aircraft. It is not, unfortunately, possible for us to publish Mr. Hinkler's very interesting paper in full, but a forthcoming issue of the Minuter of Proceedings of the I.Ae.E. will contain the entire paper, and readers Hie advised to obtain a copy of this publication. The first part of Mr. Hinkler's paper was devoted to a brief account of the history of flying in Australia, beginning with a flight by Harry Houdini in 1910 on a Voisin biplane. He then followed with a brief sketch of meteorological conditions, and gave, perhaps, a somewhat terrifying impression of " Twisters," " Willi-Willies," " cock-eyes," etc., but pointed out that statistics showed that really bad gales occurred on an average only once every year. Following are extracts of some of the more interesting and important sections of Mr. Hinkler's paper, but many valuable passages have perforce had to be omitted. Until early in 1921, civil aviation in Australia was entirely in the hands of enthusiastic and able young pilots who, when the war finished, sank their gratuities, etc., in the purchase of aeroplanes, mainly with a view to joy-riding. They started with high expectations, but, unfortunately, their hopes were dashed. People did not show the anxiety to fly with them that had been expected. About this period there was an agitation for the Govern- ment to take a controlling interest in the administration of the business. It was realised by the Government that civil aviation had come to stay, and that although the early steps must necessarily be more or less halty, when it developed it would prove an enormous benefit to the Commonwealth, as this is a country of wide spaces and with more or less inadequate means of communication, and that even if the modified war machines of that period were not economical propositions in comparison with the cost per ton-mile of other forms of transport, yet it would be only a matter of time before aeroplanes become most formidable competitors to other forms of transport, or most beneficial auxiliaries thereto. It was palpably better for the well-being of the industry that public companies should own, organise and maintain the aerial service with at first a subsidy from the Government. It was therefore decided that tenders should be called for four aerial services, operating in all between 3,500 and 4,000 miles. The first contract was let to a company in Western Australia, and this company has continued to grow and extend its activities, and has well maintained its lead in Australian aviation. The second contract was let to a company in Central Queensland, some twelve months later, with a length of route of approximately 600 miles. The third contract was let to a Melbourne company, to operate between Adelaide and Sydney, at about the same time as the Queensland contract was let, but the third service was not started until nearly two years later. There was also a contract for a service between Sydney and Brisbane, which allowed the contractor the alternative use of flying boats, but this remains the only one still to make its inaugural flight. The company operating the Sydney-Adelaide route com- meced operations on June 2 last, their fleet consisting of a Sopwith " Wallaby," a Sopwith " Antelope, ' one " Gnu," a pair of " Doves," a D.H.4, a D.H. 9, and one Avro 504 K. A number of D.H. 50's have since been added. This route with one exception is over a magnificent stretch of country. From Sydney to Goulburn it is not too good, and apparent^ there was a certain amount of anxiety in thv preparation of that centre. The journey covers a distance of about 800 miles, and the contract calls for the service to be performed weekly in both directions. The company operating in Central Queensland is usually known as " Quantas," the word being derived from their full title, Queensland and Northern Territory Air Services. The service they operate is a particularly useful one, and consists of linking up a number of railheads. Travelling between these dead-ends previous to the arrival of this company with their machines, was a most tiresome business, the old-type stage coach being the conveyance. Not only this, but the roads, or rather the tracks, used were somewhat crude and rough, so that a day's journey out in these parts fatigued one pretty badly. This company opened its doors with two Armstrong- Whitworths (160 Beardmore), one Avro triplane (160 Beard- more), one Avro 504 (100 Sunbeam Dyak), one B.E.2e (90 R.A.F.), and one D.H.4, durmg September, 1922. Recently their fleet was improved by the addition of a number of D.H.50's. The route Charleville-Cloncurry inclines one to use super- latives for its description. Ideal flying country, with vast stretches of open downs, level as a bowling green ; an equable climate ; a district blessed with prosperity considerably in excess of the average ; large thriving townships unlinked by railway communications ; immeasurable station properties (3,000 or 4,000 square miles being by no means uncommon) stretching away westward from the various railheads of Central Queensland ; equally large districts split up into relatively small individual stations ; some of them hundreds of miles from the nearest railway line, with main roads impassable during the wet season. In short, an air company's paradise. The only trouble is the provision of wet-weather landing grounds, because during the wet season for sometimes weeks at a time, all land transport is hfld up owing to the boggy nature of the ground as well as floods. The opening flight on this service began on November 2, when one of the Armstrong-Whitworths took off with the first mail, consisting of 108 letters for the town of Tambo, 105 miles distant. The first day's run finished at Longreach with 265 miles covered. The mail (which was promptly delivered to and by the Postmaster) included an exchange of stock returns between Charleville and Longreach agents within 16 hours of posting instead of six days as heretofore. The following morning the continuation of the run was made to Cloncurry. On this occasion the company's first passenger was carried. This was one, Mr. Kennedy, owner of Buckingham Downs station, who has been a resident of Central Queensland for 53 years, and has passed his 86th birthday. His first trip to Cloncurry in the 'Seventies had occupied eight months. That was by pack horse ; he had now done it in four hours. The company now advertise passenger rates at 9d. per mile, and are also able to announce 160,000 miles flown, with an efficiency of 100 per cent. Full loads have become the rule rather than the exception, and no sooner had modern commercial aeroplanes appeared on the mail route than there arose a demand for passenger accommodation, far in excess of the contractors' present resources. Quite apart from the mail trips which have been carried out in a manner satisfactory to all concerned, the company's taxiplanes were worked almost to a standstill in handling " flood traffic " during the February 20-March 14, 1924, inundations. On relief flights covering nearly 2,000 miles, 56 passengers were carried in addition to heavy consignments of groceries, dairy produce, potatoes and other necessities including medicines and beer. In connection with this last item it is probable that the members of a certain sheering camp at Longreach had never before fully appreciated the amenities of air transport. First, the party of sheerers were flown over impassable roads to the West Longreach sheds. Next, as a happy afterthought the enterprising licensee of the West Longreach Hotel imported by taxiplane a special load of beer, whisky and rum, weighing over 2 cwt. Commenting thereon the local newspaper observes " It is quite probable that this last-mentioned exploit will advertise Quantas more than anything else it has done in its short but successful career." The same paper acclaims Quantas as " the pride of the Central West." The returns also refer to 36 passengers ferried across the flooded Thompson river, which was running five miles wide. The West Australian Company has now been in operation since the later part of 1921. The length of route is 1,500 miles between termini, and making a total of 3,000 weekly return trips they can claim to have the longest passenger-carrying airway in the world. The service originally operated between Geraldton and Derby with calls at Carnarvon, Onslow, Roe- burne, Port Hedland, and Broome. About twelve months ago the route was extended south to Perth. There is also every hope for a further extension in the north, adding another 560 miles from Derby to Wyndham, thus bringing the total length of the North West Airway to something over 2,000 miles. To appreciate what this means to us over on this side, an airway of similar length operating from London would 87
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