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Aviation History
1927
1927 - 0295.PDF
,PRIL 28, 1927 CIVIL AVIATION Annual Report from April 1 to December 31,1926. IN the Annual Report on the Progress of Civil Aviation jii^t published, a change from previous Reports has been iiuide in that the period covered is the calendar year, instead ol the financial year ; the present Report, therefore, deals with the nine months April to December, 1926. Future Reports, it is stated, will cover the calendar year. As before, the Report is divided into two parts—I, dealing with general and British Empire aviation, and II aviation in foreign countries. Reference is first made to relations with foreign countries and the International Commission for Air Navigation, and the Imperial Conference of 1926. Regarding the former, it states that the amendment of Article 5 of the Convention (flight over the territory of a contracting State by aircraft of a non-contracting State) became effective on December 14, on the deposit of the outstanding ratification of the amending protocol by the Kingdom of the Serbs, Croats and Slovenes. The amendment of Article 34 (equality in voting on the International Com- mission) similarly became effective on the same date. As regards the ImjK'rial Conference, it will be unnecessary for us to refer to this subject here, as this was dealt with in detail in FLIGHT at the time (November 4 and November 25, 1926). Of the information that follows it will only l>e possible for us to publish here a resume thereof, and those of our readers who desire fuller details are advised to obtain a copy of the Report from His Majesty's Stationery Office, price Is. 3rf. net. Commercial Air Services Referring to Imperial Airways, Ltd., the Report states that the following services were operated by the company in Europe during the period under review : London-Paris : l.ondon-Paris-Basle-Zurich ; London-Ostend ; London-Brus- .sels-Cologne ; London-Amsterdam (to Octolxr 15) ; and Southampton-Channel Islands. Occasional flights were made from Amsterdam to Hanover and Herlin. and Brussels and Cologne. By arrangement with Luft Hansa that company took over the operation of the London-Amsterdam service on October 15. During the year Imperial Airways have completed a total horse-power-mileage of 549,139,440^ and a mileage of 732,980. In addition, about 46,000 miles were flown on special flights, apart from the subsidised services. A committee of technical representatives of the Air Ministry and Imperial Airways has, continues the Report, l.wn set up to study the problems of reducing costs, and tht' Committee has already begun a detailed examination of a number of questions which urgently call for solution. Reference is made to the Imperial Airways Egypt-India service, but there is nothing of importance here to add to what has already appeared in FLIGHT. A new company, it is stated, has Ix-en formed under the name " Air Taxis, Ltd.," to conduct special charter flying, similar to that carried out by the De Havilland Hire Service. This new company will l>e stationed at Stag Lane, and will tngage in air photography as well as taxi work. Referring to civil aviation during the general strike, the Report states that the resources of civil aviation were drawn upon to assist in maintaining communications. The regular cross-Channel air services were unaffected and furnished a link with the Continent when other regular services^had stopped. Other civil aircraft, including the Moth " aeroplanes belonging to light aeroplane clubs, were organised for the distribution of newspapers and mails and i,,r similar duties.. .' U"' ?' ma<-'hines and 45 pilots were so employed. , -oarding the Savage Skywriting Company, it is stated 'J'iiis company has reconditioned its fleet "(12 machines) i'- l.-nited Kingdom, and has arranged for a large campaign m.Mrmg three conntrie%. ()f (>ntral Km-,,,,,,, and for mtro- Sax *ywriting into Australia and South Africa. Major out -*l.anaging Director of the Company, has also carried cro- pe"ments on the Prot)lem of the aerial spraying of con>'i-i -11 .Promis<?. by means of a new method, to yield enabli ', lmProvenient in the efficiency of the spraying, flight * much greater area to l>c sprayed during each •"' I). Alr S5urve>' and Photography say-' < '"8 Wi^ this important branch of aviation, the Reportperiod ud i dbl< ^ portant branch of aviation, the Report period under review has witnessed a considerable awakening of interest in the commercial possibilities of air survey, and evidence is not lacking that the value of the services rendered is such that air survey will have no difficulty in standing on its own feet. The Air Survey Committee has continued to be of assistance in giving advice to com- mercial companies engaged in air survey, and that a report on " Flying for Air Survey Photography " has been prepared. The Report also refers to the Aircraft Operating Co.'s expedition to Northern Rhodesia, and adds that Aero Films, Ltd., have continued to expand their programme of com- mercial photography in this country ; 2,500 photographs were taken during the period of nine months, including the photography of 15 sq. miles of industrial country for the Rural District Council of Doncaster. The Air Survey Co., Ltd., have expanded their organisation in the east—operations being carried out in Sarawak (Rejang Delta), Federated Malay States, and Chittagong (Bengal), while the company are devoting attention also to the problem of air transport in the region of the Straits Settlements. The Central Airphoto Co., Ltd., and the Surrey Flying Services, Ltd., have also continued to carry out air photography for industrial and advertising purposes. Light Aeroplane Clubs and Private Flying The five Light Aeroplane Clubs approved under the Air Ministry scheme have continued the development of their activities during the period under review, while a sixth club, the Hampshire Aeroplane Club, was approved in May, 1926. The total membership of the Clubs as at December 31 was 1.058 ; 97 members held pilots' licences, of whom 55 qualified on Club aircraft. Further figures relating to the activities of the Clubs are given in a table, which we reproduce on page 261. Apart from the six officially-assisted Clubs, six have been started independently, including the Private Owners' Club. The number of aircraft registered in the names of Clubs and " private " owners is increasing steadily ; on December 31, 1926, the total was 58, of which 32 were light aeroplanes. University Squadrons and Training of Reserve Officers The establishment of University Air Squadrons at Oxford and Cambridge has, states the Report, importance to civil aviation not less than to the Royal Air Force, since these squadrons are intended to assist in spreading a knowledge of aeronautics among members of the Universities who will follow a non-military calling equally well with those who will adopt a Service career. The present membership of the squadrons is 50 each. The flying training of officers of the R.A.F. Reserve has continued at the five civil schools, 362 Courses having been completed, between April-Dec, as follows :—De Havilland, 88 ; Bristol, 64 : Beardmore, 64 ; Armstrong Whitworth, 57 ; North Sea Aerial and General Transport, 63 (twin-engine aeroplanes) and 26 (seaplanes). Ab ini'io training has con- tinued at the two schools engaged on this work, 31 courses being completed during the same period as follows :—De Havilland, 14 : Bristol, 17. Long-Distance Flights and Air Racing The report contains an account of the Air Minister's flight to India, inaugurating the Imperial Airways Egypt-India service, but this again has already been fully dealt with in FLIGHT and needs no further reference here. Reference is also made to other well-known long-distance flights, such as Sir Alan Cobham's flight to Australia and back. Col. Minchin's Croydon-Cairo-Croydon, and the light aeroplane flight to India by Mr. Stack and Mr. Leete. In referring to air races and competitions, the report states that interest in air racing throughout the country has been aroused by the meetings organised by the light aeroplane clubs, and that proposals are being considered by the Royal Aero Club and other parties concerned for a considerably larger programme of air races in 1927, when it is hoped that a still stronger impetus will be given to the movement for raising air racing to a leading place among national sports. Airships On the subject of airships, the report mentions that the analysis of the pressure-plotting experiments with R.33 was completed in the summer of 1926, and showed that the full-scale results agreed generally with those obtained in 263
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