FlightGlobal.com
Home
Premium
Archive
Video
Images
Forum
Atlas
Blogs
Jobs
Shop
RSS
Email Newsletters
You are in:
Home
Aviation History
1932
1932 - 0254.PDF
FLIGHT, MARCH 18. 193Z /lipnoptr Tlmilr CROYDON S J|r-^HE week-end was, it is to be hoped, a forerunner \2 III of the coming summer season. The fine weather III attracted many private owners to Croydon, and with the normal joyriding, school work, and regular services the atmosphere fairly hummed from morning to night. On Saturday, a very large crowd assembled, under the auspices of Polytechnic Tours, and 200 people were taken for flights in Hengist during the afternoon. Capt. Dudley Travers was kept very busy. Polytechnic Tours are con ducting organised tours by air to Switzerland this summer, and I believe that it will be possible to spend an 8-days' holiday in that country for an inclusive amount of £10 per head. This is a very moderate charge and should prove very popular. The journey by air is to be made in Imperial Airways machines. The bookings will no doubt be heavy, and the machines will be working overtime to cope with the demand. New electric boundary lights are being installed ; the existing gas lights are being dispensed with after years of faithful service. On Sunday a new French machine arrived, in the form of the 3-engined Wibault-Penhoet 281 T.12 (which was described in FLIGHT for July 17, 1931. To all appearances it could easily be mistaken for a Junkers G.31. It is reputed to be extremely fast, and will make our H.P.42 appear a slow machine in comparison. The cruising speed is stated to be in the vicinity of 135 m.p.h. I am told these machines will operate the Air Union services in due course. The latest Imperial Airways innovation is the flying of a civil air ensign just behind the pilot's cockpit. A small mast has been erected, and the ensign is flown while the machine is on the ground. Immediately the machine takes off the mechanic has to haul down the flag, and on landing hoist it again. The Short " Valetta " is now complete, and is expected to take the air any day now. The undercarriage is a wonderful job, and altogether it is a beautiful job of engineering. One hears stories of the omnibus owner from Essex who proposes to use his few small aircraft in a similar way to a 'bus fleet. Without wishing to damp his airmindedness, I wonder if he will be asking for trouble. He has yet to contend with that efficient organisation known as the A.I.D., and pilots paid at the rate of £4 per week, with Is. 6d. per hr. flying pay, which may damp his enterprise. On Saturday we had an example of aerial transport being employed as a means of defeating a wayward young couple who intended appearing before the famous smithy at Gretna Green. The parents of one chartered the "Wessex" of Imperial Airways, Ltd., together with the services of Mr. Sam Wheeler. Racing the railway train, Mr. Wheeler made a very rapid trip northwards. The wedding ceremony did not take place. It is understood, on good authority, that Capt. Anderson is likely to take over the business of British Air Transport, Ltd. The traffic figures for the week were: Passengers, 781 ; freight, 33 tons. P. B. HESTON AIR PARK 1NDAY, March 7.—As the Flying School is closed on Mondays, things are fairly quiet on that day, although several private owners took their machines out for short flights. Many club mem bers have expressed their appreciation of the comforts of the new and much larger bar, while the enlarged restaurant has already this year been filled to capacity. Tuesday. March 8.—Capt. Andrews, on his " Bluebird " G-AATS, cleared Customs for a tour to Spain. Wednesday, March 9.—Mr. S. V. Appleby, a young air enthusiast, whose home is in the South of France and who has built an aeroplane of his own design, came over to England specially to learn to fly under Capt. V. H. Baker. G-ABFP (Segrave " Meteor "), of the British Air Navi gation Co., was flown to Paris and back by Mr. Styran to test the Marconi wireless set recently installed. Its useful ness was demonstrated by the pilot, while over Dungeness, being able to inform Croydon he was making direct for Heston, enabling the Customs to be ready for them. Thursday, March 10.— G-ABFV, the " Puss Moth " be longing to Mrs. Spencer Cleaver, cleared Customs for Paris, with Mrs. Cleaver's son as passenger. From Paris the machine is going on to Switzerland. Lt. Comm. Geoffrey Rodd, visited us in his " Puss Moth " G-AAYB, he looking extremely fit and bronzed as a result of his visit to Palm Beach, Florida. Several planes from Heston visited the pageant held at Colchester during the afternoon, and were caught in severe snow showers on their return journey. Every credit is due to Mr. Ronnie Malcolm for getting back in his " Moth " G-AAAI, in spite of the absence of a compass in the machine. He had been forced down once and landed in a field with a very uneven surface and occupied by cattle and sheep. His description of his adventures was very humorous, as were his apologies for returning minus oysters. Friday, March 11.—Two planes cleared Customs and pro ceeded to Ireland to bring back pictures of the preparations ON PARADE : Some of the machines lined up on the occasion (reported in last week's issue) of the visit to Heston Airport, on March 5, of Members of the Executives Association. 238
Sign up to
Flight Digital Magazine
Flight Print Magazine
Airline Business Magazine
E-newsletters
RSS
Events
