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Aviation History
1931
1931 - 0567.PDF
FLIGHT, JUNE 12, 1981 available when the petrol load hasbeen materially reduced by hours •>! flying. But in the last resort,iht boat must rely for her safety, :sot on her capacity to remain inthe air, but on her ability to alight in a normally heavy seaand to remain afloat in it. FLIGHT has always clamoured,in season and out of season (really there is no " out ofseason " in this connection), for continued and progressive de-velopment of the large flying boat. It seems to us the obviouspolicy for such a Power as the British Empire to pursue. Theproblems of the seaplane are quite different from those of the land-plane, and the former set of problems have a fascination alltheir own. That being so, it was a great privilege and a greatpleasure to receive permission from the Air Ministry to visitMount Batten and to learn some- thing at first hand of the workingof large service flying boats. Mount Batten is particularly interesting because there aretwo squadrons there using two different types of boat, the Southampton and the Iris, and by means of comparisonswhich are anything but odious the senior officers are able to study the advantages of each type and to estimate therequirements of the future. To add a personal touch, nothing could be more pleasant than to be the guests ofWing Commander Sydney Smith, O.B.E., O.C. Station H.Q., and of Wing Commander E. J. P. Burling, D.S.O.,D.F.C., A.F.C., O.C. No. 209 (F.B.) Squadron, and Squadron-Leader K. B. Lloyd, A.F.C., O.C. No. 204(F.B.) Squadron. The Officers' Mess is not of the latest Air Ministry sealed pattern. It smacks rather of war-timearchitecture. But it would be hard to find a mess where guests are received with more whole-hearted hospitality.As the opening sentences of this article indicate, the officers are all enthusiasts on their particular branch offlying. They admit that it has its drawbacks, compared with some other classes of flying. A landplane. can berun out of its shed, her engine or engines started, and off she goes. A flying boat has to be hauled by a tractor outof its shed and carefully lowered down the slipway. It is when she is afloat that she requires more care than isasked for by any other form of aeroplane. When a land- plane is on an aerodrome all its troubles are over for the The Pilots of No. 204 (Flying Boat) Squadron. Names from left to right:—Flight-Lt. W. H. Jinman, M.B.E.; Flight-Lt. E. S. Moulton-Barrett; F./O. D. F. Satchwell; Sqdn.-Ld. K. B. Lloyd, A.F.C.; Flighi-Lt. R. H. Carter; Sergt. D. Williams;.Sergt. J. H. Osborne; F./O. F. R. Worthington. (FLIGHT Photo.) time being. But the motor boats have to get alongsidethe flying boat without doing her any damage and put the crew and stores on board. bJie is refuelled afloat from aspecial refuelling lighter. And here it may be remarked that the whole efficiency of a flying boat station dependsupon its marine section. The marine section at Mount Batten is exceptionally smart, and their watermanship isvery high class. No damage to a flying boat has ever resulted from mishandling of the surface craft. When theflying boat commences to run for a take-off, there are other troubles, e.g., tide as well as wind. It has been saidthat the acme of perfection in a boat pilot is to take his crew off dry. But sometimes even the best cannot avoidshipping a sea. In cold weather the boat is a cold place when it is in the air. It gets no warmth from the engines,and it is draughty itself. If the crew start wet, they have a very unpleasant time. The pilots admit all this, andyet they love boat work. On the other hand, in fine weather there is nothing in the world so delightful asflying over a sunlit sea, and especially along a picturesque coast like that of Devon. There is, too, a satisfaction innavigating over the sea which is unknown to the land- plane pilot. And, while every pilot loves a good aero-plane, we know that every sailor loves his ship. So a double bond of affection links the boat pilot to his flying boat. Officers and Airmen of No. 204 (Flying Boat) Squadron. (FLIGHT Photo.) 529~
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