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Aviation History
1932
1932 - 1305.PDF
FLIGHT, DECEMBER 22, 1932 Qirport Hews CROYDON yjgrDVERSE weather conditions, chiefly fog, have C^OI caused considerable delay and inconvenience to KLS ill those engaged in flying during last week, which at Croydon has meant days of waiting to wel come Mrs. Mollison and to bid farewell to Mr. Victor Smith, both of whom have been harassed by the weather. On Tuesday, the only arrival of interest at the airport was that of Mr. Armour, who had returned from Geneva in the " Gull." He made the trip in good time, and expressed his complete satisfaction with the high per formance of the machine. Throughout the whole of the day on Wednesday work men were busy erecting a stand for the official welcome of Mrs. Mollison. Arrangements were also made by the B.B.C. to give a running commentary of the event. Sir John Simon arrived on Thursday in the Imperial Airways air liner from Paris shortly after 11 a.m., and was met by Lady Simon. At 4 p.m. Mr. Smith started on his record attempt, but weather conditions compelled him to land at St. Malo. News reached Croydon on Thursday morning that Mrs. Mollison had left North Africa on a direct flight to Croy don. As time wore on excitement began to grow and everyone became anxious. In France they were experi encing very bad weather ; Le Bourget was unreachable owing to fog and Beauvais was used as a substitute port. All the air liners bound for Paris landed there. The French Marseilles service connected at Beauvais for London, instead of Paris. On account of these weather conditions, it was thought that Mrs. Mollison would use the west coast route via Bordeaux. Shortly after 6 o'clock a message was received by wireless stating that Mrs. Molli son was still at Beni Ounif and would not proceed until the following day—the disappointed crowds slowly moved away and Croydon closed down for the night. Friday was even less favourable. Fog on the London- Paris route caused delay to several air liners. Two machines which left Croydon in the morning were com pelled to return. Imperial Airways 9 a.m. service to Paris was cancelled and no Imperial Airways machines left Paris for Croydon. A French air liner carrying eight passengers which left Croydon at 1 o'clock began to lose height just after taking off, and landed in a field adjoining the aerodrome. No damage was done to the machine, and the passengers were transferred to another plane, which left half an hour later. Le Bourget, the Paris airport, was unreachable owing to fog, and Beauvais was again used as a substi tute port. A dense and unpenetratable fog existed from Marseilles to Abbeville, and at 10 a.m. two Air Union air liners which connected with a homeward-bound P. & O. boat at Marseilles left there, each with a full complement of passengers, and were forced to follow a diverted route. They flew to Dijon, where they refuelled, flying to London via Calais, arriving at Croydon shortly after 5 p.m. Mrs. Mollison flew from Beni Ounif to Oran, but was unable to proceed any further owing to the weather in France. The total number of passengers for the week was 910 ; freight, 48 tons 16 cwt. HORATIUS. FROM HESTON rOXDAY, December 12, was another day of thick mist, and the only arrival from abroad was Mr. R. L. Malone, who came from Cologne, via Brussels, in his " Spartan." On Wednesday, December 14, three new pupils com menced instruction and one—Mr. J. H. A. Whitehouse— carried out a most successful first solo. Monsieur Bluestein left for Paris in Caudron F-ALUS, with one passenger. This machine had undergone extensive repairs at Airwork, Ltd. branch as Bristol. There were numerous visitors by air on Friday, Decem ber 16, among them being Mr. Fairweather on Mr. C. S. Napier's " Avian " ; Capt. Percival on his " Gull " ; the "Bellanca" of the Hon. F. E. Guest, and "Moth" G-AALT from Phillips & Powis, of Reading. Banco sent off the Comper " Swift " in great haste with an urgent message. Lady Marjorie Dalrymple Hamilton made her first solo flight on Saturday, December 17, watched by a very critical crowd, who were loud in their praises of her performance. One of the many visitors was Mr. Lane, of the Indian A.I.D., who was much interested in the organisation. Another was Mr. A. H. Hamilton-Gordon, ss m M Aeronautical Research Committee Appointment THE Air Ministry announces: The Marquess of Londonderry! Secretary of State for Air, has appointed Mr. H. T. Tizard, C.B., A.F.C., F.R.S., to be Chairman of the Aeronautical Research Committee in succession to Sir R. T. Glazebrook, K.C.B., F.R.S., with effect from April 1, 1933. Sir Richard Glazebrook was appointed Chairman of the Advisory Committee for Aeronautics when it was established by Mr. Asquith as long ago as 1909, and continued in this office until that body was reconstituted in 1920 as the Aeronautical Research Com mittee, when he was again chosen as Chairman of the new body. Sir Richard will thus have been in succession Chairman of the two Committees responsible for Aero nautical Research for a continuous period of nearly 24 years, including the period of the Great War with its special responsibilities and rapid intensive development of aeronautical technique. He has throughout taken a lead- one of the first Heston Club members, who, now stationed at the British Legation, Moscow, visited the aerodrome during a two weeks' leave of absence. Others included Miss Leathart, of the Newcastle Flying Club ; Miss Spooner and Mr. MacPherson, from Leicester ; Mr. J. K. V. Watson —with Mr. Hunter ; Fit. Lt. R. Bentley, of Shell-Mex B.P. ; Mr. and Mrs. Crammond ; Mr. Ince with his " Widgeon " ; Mr. Derwent Hall Caine ; Miss Paddy Naismith ; while the visiting machines included eight " Puss Moths," 12 " Moths," four " Avians," one Comper " Swift," two Klemms, one " Widgeon," one " Fox Moth " and one Avro " Cadet." Herr Kirsch arrived from Paris in the Hirth Klemm D.2328 and Mr. Samuelson left for a Continental tour in a " Tiger Moth " (" Gipsy III "). Herr Kirsch's machine created great interest and was tried out by many other pilots. Two new pupils joined the Flying School on this day. Quite a fleet of machines left Heston for Croydon to join in the welcome to Miss Amy Johnson. Heston takes this opportunity of wishing all their friends and acquaintances of the flying fraternity a Merry Xmas and a Prosperous and Happy New Year. m m s ing part in all phases of aeronautical research, and has rendered distinguished services to science and aviation. Mr. H. T. Tizard, who is succeeding Sir Richard Glaze brook as Chairman, has been Rector of the Imperial College of Science and Technology since 1929. He is a member of the Aeronautical Research Committee and is chairman of several of the sub-committees and panels. Born in 1885, Mr. Tizard served as a pilot in the Royal Flying Corps during the war and later became the first Chief Experimental Officer at the Aeroplane Experimental Establishment at Martlesham Heath. In 1918 he was appointed to be Assistant Controller, Experiments and Re search, Royal Air Force, and subsequently was Secretary of the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research. Mr. Tizard is a Fellow of Oriel College, Oxford, and also a Fellow of the Royal Society. He was awarded the Air Force Cross in 1918 in recognition of valuable flying services, and was created a C.B. in 1927. 1221
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