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Aviation History
1932
1932 - 0193.PDF
FLIGHT, FEBRUARY 26, 1932 one who can do the job better than the rest, and not hold it simply by the virtue of his ability to dictate a letter, and speak with a public school accent ; or because he has been fortunate in having someone exercising their influence. No. The people who actually do the job can hand in their reports to the manager themselves. The positions of intermediate figureheads are superfluous and a costly item in the wage accounts. Aviation only needs men who can save their firm expense, not help to incur it. Therefore it shows foresight and business acumen on the part of Imperial Airways in having their engineers trained as pilots also. They are training men who learn the job from the ground up in a commercial sense, and who realise that their company's success and expansion is the jam on their bread and butter. In conclusion, a word to the fellows who are or will be undergoing training. This is your " big change." Make the most of it ; remembering that your success and abilities can have far-reaching effects. Bend your backs and stick into it, so that when you have had your innings the next man in will be proud to take the place of "a fine pilot and stout fella." " COMPLETE OVERHAUL." Plymouth, February 6, 1932. COMMERCIAL FLYING IN SIAM [2792] I have read with much surprise the article on commercial flying in Siam, which appeared in your pub lication of November 27. I do not know who is the author, but he obviously is a person with a grievance which he has unfortunately aired in print. I do not think the inaccuracies and half-truths and generally critical tone of the article should go unchallenged. As regards the statements made, it is said that " Govern ment purchased a Curtiss ' Scout ' and Bristol ' Bulldog.' " No Curtiss " Scout " has been purchased, while two (not one) Bristol " Bulldogs " are used by the Siamese Air Force. The lack of a " highly keen sense of imagination " on the part of the Siamese pilots is a fallacy. The number of accidents, fatal or otherwise, in the Siamese Air Force is remarkably low, and certainly compares very favourably with other countries. Don Muang Aerodrome is 23 kilo metres from Bangkok and not 40 as stated. The author refers to the " excellent piece of ground opposite the Royal Palace " in the city as a possible aerodrome. This can only apply to the Premane Ground, which is exactly opposite the Grand Palace and unthink able as a possible aerodrome. Probably he confused the Royal Palace with the Phya Thai Hotel, which was formerly a palace of the late King. The ground in front of the Phya Thai Hotel is certainly large enough, but the work involved in preparing it for aviation purposes would be colossal. This is the reason there is no aerodrome in the heart of Bangkok, not inter-departmental friction, as the writer suggests. He states that " after many delays operations were started." The first two machines did not arrive in Siam until July 15. The present Operations Manager did not arrive in Siam until August 15, and the Aerial Transport Co. commenced their regular service as from August 24, which was the date arranged in the previous April for the commencement of operations. This would not seem to justify his remarks about delay. He complains that the machines were sent to Don Muang instead of Korat. The point in sending them to Don Muang was to assemble them there and fly them to Korat. However, for very good reasons known to the writer of this letter, it was decided later not to do that, but to send them by rail after erection. He complains that the aircraft were assembled and tested <$> <!> Indian Air Force SIR SAMUEL HOARE, Secretary for India, in reply to a question in the House on February 8, stated that nine Indian cadets were now at Cranwell and one under train ing at Kidbrooke. It was hoped to establish the first unit of the Indian Air Force in March, 1933. Irish O.T.C. to form Reserve of Pilots PART of a scheme for the building up of an Air Force Reserve in the Irish Free State is by the training of selected members of the University Officers Training Corps, writes our Dublin correspondent, and a number of them will be drafted to Baldonnel Aerodrome for instruc- " without reference to the foreign civil pilot." At that date the present Operations Manager had not arrived in Siam. In any case the reference is only to the first two machines. The second two " Puss Moths," owned by the Aerial Transport Co., were assembled and test flown at Korat under the present Operations Manager at the request of the Siamese Air Force, and in the absence of any Army official. Certificates of airworthiness were issued on the approval of the Operations Manager. He also complains of the fact that the Government organisation of civil aviation was inadequate. This was true at the time, as there had been no civil aircraft or civil aviation in Siam up to that date. There was an air mail service in the North Eastern Provinces, but this was operated by the Royal Aeronautical Department with its own machines. However, this has all been looked after since, and now Siam has civil air regulations as care fully prepared and as rigorously enforced as any other country. He states that of all the civil aerodromes listed, Korat alone was ready for use in July. Korat was not ready iD July, and operations did not commence until November 1 from the civil field at Korat, but the Army gave full co operation, and the first six months of the company's operations were on Army fields. Actually Korat and Nakon Pnom are the only civil fields in use, the remain ing fields at Roi Etch Khonkaen, Udorn, Salakam, Nong Wen, Nong Harn Sakol Nakon, are all Army fields and have been consistently used throughout the wet monsoon. So far, despite his assertion that a landing on any one of them would " write off " an under-carriage or propeller, they have yet to damage their first machine. No damage has occurred to any of the aircraft in operations which already exceed 50,000 kilometres. The operating costs per kilometre flown are said to be the lowest of any air mail service in the world, and the volume of mail, despite the smallness of the aircraft to be exceeded by comparatively few air lines anywhere. As regards the reference to the French air mail, the handling of this in Siam has now been entrusted to the Aerial Transport Co. In six months' operations of the Aerial Transport Co. there have been no accidents of any description, no forced landings, a 100 per cent, record of schedule performances, and only three instances of aircraft being late in scheduled arrival at any aerodrome. The company earns a profit without subsidy, and is paid for the mail it actually carries and not for miles flown. The Government of Siam is not faced with the necessity of voting money to make good its operating losses, as is the case in most air services throughout the world. All this is being accomplished with strictly Siamese operating personnel in the way of pilots and mechanics, and their excellent record would seem to give the lie to the author's vague suggestions of inferiority. In view of all that I have written, I think you will agree that the company deserves kinder treatment at the hands of your esteemed journal, and I am sure you will welcome the chance to make amends on the facts I have now placed before you. " FAIRPLAY. Bangkok. January 29, 1932. [The above letter is a good example of " audi alterem partem" and should, we hope, nullify any possible ill- effects which may have been created by the original article received by us from, as far as we could judge, a reliable correspondent and which should have been under the nom de plume of " Cabane." This was omitted by printer's negligence. We welcome the opportunity to publish the above letter from " Fairplay," who, w«_ may say, represents an undeniably reliable source.—ED.J <$> <$> tion during the summer months. It is understood that an order for the supply of six Avro Trainers of the latest type has been passed by the Department of Defence, and these will be used for the training of the Reserve. It is also learned that an officer will be sent from the Free State Army Air Corps to the Central Flying School of the R.A.F. for training. Another part of the Reserve plan is the drafting of regular officers from other branches of the National Army for tuition as pilots and for schooling in army co-operation work. This section of the scheme has been temporarily held up, presumably as an economy measure. 177
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