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Aviation History
1930
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FLIGHT, OCTOBER 31, 1930 president ; and Graham B. Grosvenor, vice-chairman of the board of the Aviation Corporation ; Miss Elinor Smith, girl flier and aviation observer for the National Broadcasting Company, and Miss Ruth Nichols, noted aviatrix. In the delegation out of Los Angeles was Earle Ovington, pioneer aviator who flew the first mail route in the United States from Nassau Boulevard Aviation Field in New York to Mineola, N.Y., on September 23, 1911. At that time, Ovington received his first mail shipment from the then Postmaster-General Frank Hitchcock, and on Oct. 15 last Ovington carried mail from the west cost for delivery to Hitchcock in Phcenix, where the former postmaster-general is now living. A 12-hour schedule will be maintained between Los Angeles and Dallas, and a 7-hour schedule between Dallas and Atlanta. The Dallas airport will be used as a night lay-over point for both east and west-bound liners. Southern Air Fast Express operates a fleet of nine Fokker F-10 twelve-passenger monoplanes over the new trans- continental route. The new S.A.F.E. is a subsidiary of American Airways, and was formed to take over the contract let by the Post Office Department to Robertson Aircraft Corporation, a subsidiary of American Airways, and the old Southwest Air Fast Express. American Airways is the operating company for the Aviation Corporation, which is affiliated with the W. A. Harriman Company, New York Banking House. The Southern Air Fast Express route will increase the daily scheduled mileage of tri-motored 'planes operating on lines controlled by American Airways to 8,902 miles, and that of single-motored ships to 13,998 miles. Through its eastern division, embracing the Colonial air lines, American Airways' machines carry mail between New York and Boston and New York and Montreal. The mid-western division embraces the Universal Airlines, the Embry-Riddle Company and the Interstate Airlines. The latter company holds the air mail contract between Chicago and Atlanta, and will make connections with the new southern trans- continental line. The S.A.F.E. line will be added to the American Airways' southern division, which now consists of the lines formerly operated by Southern Air Transport Inc. During August, lines of American Airways carried 5,882 passengers, and from January to August 31 this year, its machines flew 4,719,409 'plane-miles in scheduled service and carried 378-2 tons of mail. Another development in U.S. commercial air transport is reported from Chicago. Arrangements have been completed between the National Air Transport and the New York Central Railroad whereby an air-rail passenger service will be operated between Chicago and New York in place of that discontinued by the Universal Air Lines. The National Air Transport, on October 1, inaugurated an air-passenger service between Cleveland and Chicago in conjunction with the New York Central Railroad, which makes possible a 17-hour trip between Chicago and New York, with an equal saving of time to other eastern business centres. Passengers utilizing the air-rail service from Chicago to New York leave the Chicago Municipal Airport at 3.35 p.m. arriving at Cleveland, 7.30 p.m., where connections are made with the Southwestern, Limited, of the New York Central Lines which reaches New York at 9.30 a.m. and Boston at 11.30 a.m., the following morriing. Westbound passengers leave New York at 7.45 p.m. on the Cleveland Limited and Boston at 3.40 p.m., arriving at Cleveland at 8.35 a.m. the following morning. Passengers then board the National Air Transport tri-motored 'plane leaving Cleveland at 9.30 a.m. and arrive at Chicago 11.55 a.m. Air-rail service is also available from New York to the Southwest, leaving New York on the Detroiter at 6.00 p.m., arriving at Detroit at 8.45 a.m. the following morning, con- necting with the N.A.T.-Stout Division 'plane, leaving Detroit at 9.05 a.m., and arriving Chicago at 10.55 a.m., where connection is made with the L'niversal Air Lines, leaving Chicago at 11.00 a.m. for St. Louis, Kansas City, Tulsa, Fort Worth and Dallas. CROYDON WEEKLY NOTES AT Croydon we get used to all kinds of novel and queer **• aircraft. But this week has made us rub our eyes. In the middle of last week we were visited by the two really beautiful Ford monoplanes which have come to Europe for demonstration. In the hands of Mr. Leroy Manning and Mr. H. C. Johnson, they put up a very impressive performance. They appear to be as fast and as manoeuvrable as most mili- tary fighters, yet are comfortable and efficient passenger carriers. We know that British designers can be better than any in the world. But what British manufacturer has had the pluck to build and market such a machine or British Transport Company to demand it ? Behind the skirts of the Air Ministry, which gives them comforting contracts for military machines and regulations to protect their tiny markets, they sit and grow lazy. This is not true of such constructors of small craft as De Havilland, Desoutter and A. V. Roe. But why is it so with the builders of larger machines ? A propos of that and my remarks last week about Air Mails, I hear that the first return flight of the Dutch East Indies service has just taken eight and a-half days from Batavia to Schipol. Vandyk was the pilot, and the machine a Fokker F VII B, with three Titan engines. Since Turkey is still closed to them, Vandyk came by Cairo and Athens. We must congratulate the Dutch for their energy and efficiency. After "the Ford our next strange craft was Personal Flying Services' Sikorsky Amphibian, flown to Paris and back by Capt. " Bill " Styran. Then came the visit of the Dominion Premiers. For two days the aerodrome was flooded by the Royal Air Force, who brought with them that queer trinity, the Autogyro— " daddy longlegs," the Pterodactyl—" fowl with its tail plucked out," and the Gugnunc—"like nothing on earth." The things these strange birds did were passing belief and gave us nightmares. In spite of the foul weather, the aerodrome was all agog on Saturday and pleased with the honour of the Imperial Conference visit. It certainly was an eyebrow-raiser to see the numerous kinds of civil and military machines on parade. They indicated the wonderful growth of the aircraft industry recently, especially on the commercial side. Following the splendid example of our Prime Minister, who flew to and from the Pageant, the delegates kept Imperial Airways very busy in their eagerness to fly, and several somewhat bumpy trips were made over London. The aerobatics display put up by the Royal Air Force was perfect in every detail, and the formation of nine machines strung together was superb. One old ex-pilot declared his delight at having given up regular flying just in time to be spared that kind of thing. And many of the spectators, no doubt, became more air-scared than ever. Great interest is being taken in the " Comrades of the Royal Air Force " association at Croydon, and the suggestion to call a meeting and set up a committee is to be carried out. The excellent aims of the organisation should attract all those on the aerodrome who are eligible. The transatlantic Bellanca machine " Columbia " was taken in the Desoutter works last week to be converted to a passenger-carrier. Two days were spent cutting out the big petrol tank in the fuselage. At the end of the third day the cabin and cockpit had been cleaned out, inspected, panelled with brown moquette, and fitted with four com- fortable seats for passengers. The " Columbia " has been bought by Personal Flying Service, Ltd., and is to make a propaganda tour with Capt. Boyd and Lieut. O'Connor. Now that the operating companies have for the most part reverted to single services, the traffic figures have naturally fallen. This week 529 passengers and 47 tons of freight were dealt with. The approach of winter, with its short dark days, shows up the invaluable navigational assistance rendered by the Control Tower staff to machines struggling through bad weather. • Lately this department has been very much in the limelight—or should we say " floodligh'-. M. 1- Air Mail Conference in Brussels lands, Sweden, and Czechoslovakia were represented. i d Mai lands represented AT the second Air Mail Conference, which met recently Conference investigated schemes for co-ordinating and extt-no ~ ing air mail services, and it was suggested that no addition* charge should be made for sending letters by air mail. in Brussels, the postal administrations of Belgium, Great Britain, France, Germany, Italy, Switzerland, the Nether- J202 i
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