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Aviation History
1926
1926 - 0661.PDF
SEPTEMBER 9, 1926 COMMERCIAL FOKKERS FOR SWITZERLAND A FEW months ago, as previously reported in FLIGHT, the K.L.M. sold five of its Fokker F.III planes to the Swiss Balair Company and replaced them by the bigger F.VII type, as the F.Ill's had become too small for the much- increased K.L.M. traffic. These F.Ill's had respectively 2,236, 1,944, 1,930, 1,830 and 1,760 flying hours to their credit. During the two months of operation by the Balair planes must be stationed in the open air. That no more defects have occurred is only due to the excellent construction of the aeroplanes and the Siddeley Puma motors. ' Child- hood's illnesses,' to which new machines are subjected, are completely removed. During the 500 hours these machines have behind them no abnormal defects have been noticed, and all minor troubles experienced are such as will always FOKKERS FOR SWITZERLAND: A formation of Fokker F.III (Siddeley "Puma") commercial monoplanes, originally employed by K.L.M. on their air lines, being flown from Holland to Switzerland, wliere they have been put into service by the Basle Air Traffic Co., " Balair " Company these machines have given every satisfaction, as appears from the following letter to the K.L.M. :— " Since April 19 we have operated on our lines Frankfurt- Karlsruhe-Basle-Geneva-Lyons, Basle-Stuttgart, the five Fokkers F.III with Siddeley Puma motors, bought from the K.L.M., and we have not had any defects of importance. "The only defect which we have to register so far was due to a complete ' soaking,' which occurred to one of these machines because it stood in streaming rain during two days and one night at Frankfurt aerodrome. Frankfurt has not yet constructed hangars at its aerodrome, so that the aero- happen to aircraft of today. The different require- ments made by the Swiss Air Office have demonstrated that the machines have had the best care by the K.L.M. " We have much pleasure in certifying this and are convinced that the machines can be used still many hundreds of flying hours if they will have a careful treatment." The five machines, it will be remembered, were delivered by air to the Balair Company, and flew in formation from Holland to Switzerland, as depicted in the accompanying illustration. King of Belgians and International League of Aviators ALTHOUGH not a pilot himself, Albert, King of the Belgians is highly airminded, and does not miss an opportunity to im- press his subjects with the importance of air power and the great future of aerial transport. King Albert was incidentally the first sovereign to own an aeroplane, and he frequently makes air trips, piloted by Monsieur Crombez, the well-known Belgian pre-war aviator. The soldier-king has just given another proof of his interest in aeronautics and his concern with the well-being of airmen by granting his High Patronage to the International League of Aviators, which has its headquarters in Paris. This Association was formed last spring thanks to the co-operation of the Yieilles Tigcs and the Pionicri it alt ant dell'Aeronautica, the French and Italian pre-war aviators' societies respective! '. Other national posts are in course of organization in Great Britain, Belgium, Holland, Czechoslo- vakia, Portugal, Canada and the United States. The official announcement of the Royal decision, which was received by Mr. Clifford B. Harmon, President of the League, from General Menschaert, aide-de-camp of the King, will give a further impetus to the development of this body of flying men, which will ultimately have branches in all countries of the world. London-Marseilles Air Mails THE Postmaster-General draws attention to the oppor- tunity which the recently established Friday morning Air Mail "from London to Marseilles offers of overtaking at Mar- seilles or Toulon the mails for India, Egypt, Iraq, Aden, East Africa, and, in most weeks, Australia, despatched from this country on the previous evening by ordinary route. The new Air Mail has, so far, made regular connection with the Peninsular and Oriental or Orient Packet at Marseilles or Toulon. Fuller particulars of the new service are given in the Air Mail leaflet, a copy of which can be obtained free at any head or branch post office, and the latest time of posting can be ascertained at the local head post office. Australian Flight to the South Seas THE Royal Australian Air Force is making arrangements for a big flight from Australia to New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, New Hebrides, Fiji, New Caledonia and Samoa, then back to Australia, a total distance of some 14,000 miles. This flight will be carried out, probably this month, by Group- Capt. Eric Williams, on a D.H.50 seaplane fitted with a 240 Siddeley "Puma" engine. A mechanic and wireless operator will form the crew. 585
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