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Aviation History
1931
1931 - 0365.PDF
FLIGHT, APRIL 17, 1931 CROYDON WEEKLY NOTES IT was most unfortunate that the weather on EasterMonday was bad, but the Continental services were inno way affected. The local joy-riding concerns musthave lost a considerable sum of money, as the weather kept hundreds of potential passengers away. The weather improved on Tuesday, and has been reasonably good since. All companies report that their passenger lists are growing daily. On Tuesday, the first machine since the war flying under the Austrian flag, entered the country and stayed a few days at Croydon. Although the machine was actually a Gipsy Moth, she bore Austrian markings, and was piloted by an Austrian—Herr Guritzer. The actual owner is a British resident in Vienna, and I understand is a representative there for a famous British soap manufacturer. He came as passenger, and on Wednesday, made a trip to Birmingham and Manchester. Arriving back at Croydon on Friday, they left in the afternoon on their journey back to Vienna. Another interesting visitor during the week, was a machine from Denmark, piloted by Lieut. Klaussen Klaus. He was here on a visit to the Danish Legation. The machine is known as an Argo, and judging by the exhibition of stunting the pilot gave us, must be very strongly constructed. The markings were OY-DID, and caused much amusement. On Wednesday, Capt. Neville Stack and Mr. Chaplin left here on a test flight on the Vickers Vivid, to Berlin and back in a day. They succeeded in getting back as far as Flushing, and completed the journey on Thursday. Deter- mined not to be beaten, they tried again on Sunday, from Heston, and did the return trip successfully, in a little over 10 hours—a very good show. The Spider is back here after its tour, and is resting on its laurels in the hangar, after a very exciting collision at West Mailing Aerodrome, Maidstone. It is understood that a O'vrmtter aircraft, piloted by Mr. Philip Meadway, unfor- tunately taxied into the Spider, and damaged the door and rudder. Both machines had a very good day joy-riding, and about 5,000 people paid for admission. Capt. Barnard's tour seems to have started very well. On Friday, Imperial Airways had a special for Venice, with a large party headed by the Hon. A. Guinness. Capt. Gordon P. OUcy was the pilot. The Hon. A. Guinness himself went by Moth, piloted by Mr. Allison. 1 understand the party are eventually joining the Guinness yacht in the Mediter- ranean, for a cruise. Mrs. Spencer Cleaver arrived on Friday, by the Imperial Airways Silver Wing Service. She was greeted by an army of journalists and photographers. She is reported to have flown round the world by air, showing how the network of airways has grown yearly. A great deal of controversy is being caused through a new gutter which has been placed on the edge of the arrival and departure area. This gutter is about 18 in. wide, and is filled with loose cinders to drain away surplus water. The contention is, that it is ruinous to tail skids, particularly those on the heavy machines. No doubt, the companies have a good cause for complaint, and I cannot see the advan- tage that has been gained by the gutter. It is impossible for a machine to taxy over it without giving the tailskid a nasty jar. The white line across the aerodrome which has been laid down by the Air Ministry, to assist pilots in foggy weather, has now been completed. At long last we have some news regarding Hannibal. The first machine G-AAGX, is now due to leave Radlett for Martlesham Heath for her tests, and, weather permitting, she should have almost completed them by the time these notes appear in print. The bright week-end made up for the slackness of the previous Monday, and all connected with joy-riding were busy. Private owners were to the fore—and Le Touquet seems to be the chief week-end attraction. I hear strong rumours that Major Brackley and Capt. Gordon Olley will shortly be proceeding to Madrid. Croydon looks like having a busy time again. The full summer services come into operation next Monday. The traffic figures for the week are : Passengers, 942 ; freight. 37 tons. B. P. BRISTOL AIRPORT '"THE Easter holiday period brought considerable traffic to the Bristol Airport, in spite of moderate weather condi- tions. Arrivals from other parts of the country included aircraft from the Irish Free State, London, Manchester, Birmingham, Teignmouth, Liverpool, and the Isle of Wight. The majority of these called at Bristol to refuel and take lunch, and then proceeded to their destinations, which usually lay west of Bristol, and in one case Land's End. On Good Friday, Mr. A. H. Downes-Shaw, the Chairman of the Bristol & Wessex Aeroplane Club, left Bristol Airport for Nice in his Gipsy Moth, and he was accompanied by his sister, who has recently returned from Uganda. The Bristol & Wessex Aeroplane Club took delivery of their new Spartan Arrow on Saturday, the 4th April, and the machine was in commission for club flying over the week- end. The Club financial year ended on March 31, and the records show 1,651 hours flying on club machines for the year. These figures reflect considerable credit on Capt. R.W. M. Hall, the chief instructor, and his assistant Fl./O. W. N. L. Cope. Messrs. Phillips and Powis expect to begin their Air Taxi service at the Bristol Airport on April 18, and already have concluded arrangements for the hire of their machines by certain commercial organisations in the Bristol district. The new hangar which is being built for the Bristol branch of Messrs. Airwork, Limited, is nearing completion, and should be ready for occupation this month. This hangar contains a number of private lock-ups for the use of West of England private owners. HESTON NOTES DETWEEN Wednesday and Friday of last week, there filtered back to Heston the various units of the party which had set out to go to Seville for Easter Sunday. Having for the most part, arrived at Perpignan too late on April 1 to proceed to Barcelona that evening, they had got up at 4 a.m. the following morning in the hope of making up for lost time, but their hopes of doing so were dashed on seeing the " Aeropostale " machine return twice after unsuccessful attempts to cross the Pyrenees. It having become clear that there would be small chance of reaching Seville with any time to spare and that most of the party would then be compelled to turn straight round and come home again, it was decided to spend the holiday in France. The program-Tie was changed, accordingly, and groups of machines visited Cannes, Ntmes, Nice, Tours and Chartres, and only the Bluebird, which had resolutely pushed on in the evening of April 1, actually reached Seville. When told that there were 37 aircraft out and about Heston on Saturday last, Mr. Ivor McClure, who was in process of making the number up to 38, pointed out that a year ago we should have called this a tolerably well-attended aviation meeting. Actually, there were no side shows of any kind on this occasion, which was nothing but a rather fine Saturday afternoon. Members of Heston Air Park may now hire the Company's machines at £3 an hour for solo flying, subject to making a deposit of £25, which is returnable. Particulars will be sent on request. ••••••••••••••• 341
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