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Aviation History
1927
1927 - 0904.PDF
mechanical work, painting, patching, servicing, etc., was to be performed by students subject to the supervision of the mechanical staff of the Boston Airport from which the club operates. During the winter of 1926-27 the ship was over- hauled and in March, 1927, reappeared at the airport ready for flight. The chief pilot, wearing a parachute for purely sentimental reasons, made the test hop and pronounced it O.K. A number of the club pilots tried it out during the remainder of the day. A system of field managers was appointed, whereby one member of the flight committee, all of whom are pilots, must be on duty every day, to make inspection and oversee the completion of any repairs before the ship leaves the ground. Flying is subject to his approval, and he is empowered to ground anyone at his discretion. Pilots are required to circle the field at an altitude of 1,000 feet before leaving and to make no voluntary landings except home. The intention of the club in drawing up strict rules and establishing a means of enforcing them is to minimize the chances of a major " crack-up" in which passengers might be injured and which would probably wipe the club out of existence. Conditions and Costs Since the conditions on which the club had agreed to pay back its borrowed capital called for, in addition to safe operation, rather high rates, the following charges were established ; pilot alone pays £2 per hour; pilot and passen- ger, whether member or guest, £3 per hour. The short autumnal afternoons and the necessary daily inspection, as well as van-ing fitness of the weather, limit the club's flying hours to an average of ten a week. In making an estimate of the probable cost of operation this average was assumed ; and taking into consideration depreciation, minor damages, etc., the estimate arrived at was £l-9 per hour. The surplus or profit was to go, and has gone, toward liquidation of the club's debt. Between March and June, 1927, when with the beginning of the summer holidays the club temporarily suspended its activity, operating costs had NOVEMBER 24, 1927 proved to be £'l -6 per hour; approximately 125 hourswere flown, and 300 passengers carried. The field managers stuck to their responsibilities with remarkable seriousness ;and the club found its first period of flying absolutely free from mishaps. During the summer of 1927 the opportunity turned up to dispose of the old plane to advantage and to purchase a new Travel-Air powered by an OXX6 engine. This w*s done, and on their return to the fall term the club's most experi- enced pilot and mechanic brought the plane in four hops the 1,500 miles from the factory to the college. A policy of making the club more widely known was inaugurated when it availed itself of the second New England Aero Show to place the new plane on display attended by members of the club to answer questions. Shortly afterward the plane was entered in two races at an air pageant held fifty miles from home, a relaxation of the restrictions of the first year which forbade cross-country flying. Reward in the form of many compliments and £"25 prize money was forthcoming. In the first race, a handicap for planes developing 100 h.p. or less, in a field of ten the club plane from scratch placed third ; in the second race, for planes of over 100 h.p., in a field of sixteen starting tenth it finished fifth. The club at present numbers thirty odd member-,, of whom eight are licensed pilots, some half-a-dozen soloists, and the rest taking instruction. Graduate and under- graduate students are eligible to compete scmi-annually for membership : it has been agreed, however, that, while the club has still but one ship, in fairness a limit of fifty mem- bers must stand. Mindful of its original purpose, the club holds, as often as possible, open meetings at which a speaker from outside discusses some aspect of aviation, and when it is convenient the opening of competition is made to coincide with one of these meetings. A graduate com- mittee, which is proposed, is expected to aid and enlarge the program of the club for the cultivation of the cause of aviation in the University. PILOTS "A" LICENCE MR. JOHN F. LEEMING, Chairman of the Lancashire Aero Club, has compiled a useful book entitled " Pilot's ' A ' Licence " which explains down to the smallest detail exactly what has to be understood and done to pass the tests for the " A " Licence. The necessity for this work has been made clear to him as a result of his experience as an Official Observer on behalf of the Royal Aero Club ; in the course of which he has been wearied by answering the same questions so many times each year. No profit is to be made on the sales of the book which can be obtained at the cost price of 15. Qd. from Mr. Leeming, Owlpen, Bowdon, Cheshire. There is no doubt about its need and value, for the information that a pupil must obtain is inconveniently scattered about in various publications. In the collective form, as successfully adopted here, it will make the task of future pupils easier, and incident- ally cause less bother to Official Observers who supervise their qualifying tests. For the most part Mr. Leeming has trans- cribed, without alteration, from " The Royal Aero Club Instructions," " The Air Navigation Order 1923," as amended by the Air Navigation (Amendment) Order, 1925, and " Air Navigation (Amendment) Order, 1927," also Notices to Airmen. So the publication is quite authentic. Tests for the " B " Licence are not dealt with as this is a matter with which the Air Ministry is solely concerned, and does not interest the average club member. In Chapter I, the Licence, the Royal Aero Club Certificate, and the Air Ministry Licence are fully covered. In Chapter II, the author deals with the Technical Examination, setting out all the information necessary to know, and follows this up in the next chapter with the questions. The subject embraces simple definitions of the common types of aircraft, rules on lights carried on aircraft, on signalling, general rules for air traffic and nationality of aircraft, etc. Beside* pupils the private owners will find some useful items which have lieen specially introduced by the author for their benefit. They cover general conditions of flying, registration, certificate of airworthiness, and aerodromes. No light 'plane club should be without copies of this little book, which is very neatly produced, and everyone in the club movement should feel grateful to the author for his industry and foresight. In conclusion we cannot refrain from quoting in full the following gem, which appears as Mr. Leeming's " Acknowledgment " in the front of the book :— " The writer wishes to thank certain friends without whose advice, criticism, and assistance this book would have been published months ago." Canadian Club Movement THE Canadian programme for the development of flying clubs is meeting with enthusiasm, fifteen clubs having already applied for the Government offer of a free aeroplane. To qualify for this gift each club must have 30 members willing to learn to fly. In several centres aerodromes are being established. D.H. Items MR. A. G. HAY, of South Africa, inspected his " Moth " at Stag Lane recently. It is called the " Bulawayo " and will be shipped to Durban, then flown from there to Bulawayo by Capt. Mail. After the inspection, Capt. Reeve, one of the de Havilland Company's pilots, tested the machine and then took Mr. Hay and several other passengers for flights. On November 12, the Rev. Bate, Secretary7 of the Colonial and Continental Church Society, took delivery of the " Moth " which is to be flown in Australia by the Rev. L. Daniels for covering his huge parish. Mr. G. H. Allison tested this machine in very bumpy weather and then gave a flight to the Rev. Bate's'son. Capt. Florman, of the Swedish Aero Transport, has ordered three " Moths " for Stockholm from the de Havilland Com- pany. Club Literature THE Newcastle Aero Club has issued a booklet called " Learn to Fly." It is excellently produced, has a foreword by Sir Sefton Brancker, and sets out full details of the club. Many new members should be the result of this interesting form of propaganda. The work is attractively illustrated whilst the " doped " cover is a neat and apt idea. Proposed New Clubs Two organisations which were trying to form an aero club on Tyneside have decided to amalgamate. No difficulty is anticipated in finding a suitable landing ground. They have in view the Marske Aerodrome and also the proposed municipal aerodrome. Dr. Body has been elected president, Mr. N. Sadler, vice-president, and Mr. W. Moss and Mr. F. N. Ogilvie, joint secretaries. Hull is also striving for the same object. The Blackburn Aeroplane Company, who have their well-equipped aerodrome at Brough, which is situated about ten miles from Hull, have offered the use of it for the future club's activity. 812
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