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Aviation History
1933
1933 - 1244.PDF
FLIGHT, DECEMBER 14, 1933 AIRPORT NEWS CROYDON ATURDAY last saw the departure of a record air mail, when the Imperial Airways machine left at 12.30. More than 80,000 letters, approximately a ton of mails, were sent by air to places along the line to Singapore, and that city celebrated its recent link with England for air mail purposes by having a very fair share of the mails addressed to it. When the African mail plane departs on Wednesday, December 13, another record mail is expected, and Imperial Airways' traffic staff here are making special preparations to handle it Among the latest air travel enthusiasts, who thoroughly enjoyed their journey, were A. C. J. van Vossen, H. Kjaer and S. Stromann, the Danish Badminton team, who arrived in London by K.L.M. A.B.A. Scandinavian Air Express on December 5. Airline pilots are not born—they are very carefully made in these days of large aeroplanes carrying up to 40 pas sengers. Two Imperial Airways pilots with " masters tickets " for most types up to " Argosies," are at present training as first officers on board " Heracles " types daily, in order to get their tickets for the biggest machines of the fleet. Their names are Messrs. Tweedie and Gittings. Something of a mystery man. Dr. Hanfstaengl, said to be a Nazi Press chief and a personal friend of Herr Hitler, left London for Berlin by D.L.H. on Friday last. He is said to have been here purely for a holiday. Mr. Parmenter, of the Royal Dutch Air Lines, who has been in the United States studying air routes there with special regard to radio beacons and night-flying facilities, is now back on the regular routes, and was at Croydon recently. He experienced the greatest hospitality in America, and was allowed to fly as second pilot over several routes. He has much of interest to tell about American •civil aviation, and he explodes the myth that all American civil machines cruise at about 200 m.p.h. The present average speed on American airlines is not higher than in Europe. There is a great deal to be said in favour of sending a genuine air line pilot rather than a director to other countries to study the practical side of air line flying. During last week we had more than our share of fog, and alternative ports such as Lympne and Gravesend were used. One day the lay Press will learn that air traffic is not necessarilv " dislocated " by the wise use of an airport other than Croydon ill certain types of weather. One K.L.M. machine disembarked its inward load at Gravesend and, by special permission of H.M. Customs, immediately and courteously given as soon as asked for, cleared both passengers and cargo outwards from Gravesend, and never came near Croydon at all. That would appear to be the correct vise of a well situated and well equipped coastal airport. Customs facilities for outward clearance of passengers and freight do not yet exist at Gravesend, and if Lympne with its Customs organisation is clear of fog, embarkation at Gravesend must be followed by a flight to Lympne for outward clearance. It is hoped this inconvenient arrangement will shortly be no longer necessary. It is a pitv the newspapers do not pay more attention to their facts, especially in air matters. Referring to inward bound Royal Dutch Air Lines passengers Landing at Gravesend, one newspaper said: "Customs officials refused to deal with them at Gravesend, and the liner had to call at Lympne for this purpose." This is totally inaccurate. Inward bound passengers may be cleared within a few minutes of their arrival at Gravesend and proceed to London immediately. A curious situation in connection with " Zone Traffic Control " arose recently, when some wireless fitted R.A.F. machines wished to leave Biggin Hill during a period when the Control was in force. Biggin Hill is within the area, and although the routes were clear and the Control Tower (like Barkis) was willing, the orders issued to the R.A.F. precluded any flying by their machines within the " Zone " during a control period. I suppose this is a matter which will shortly be put right. Several privately-owned non-wireless aircraft have trespassed, all unwittingly, in the Control Zone recently. They have been mildly admonished for not looking at the weather panels at Lympne or Littlestone before pro ceeding to Croydon. I was recently informed that the outward plus inward passenger traffic of K.L.M., London, had increased by 105 per cent, in November, 1933, over the same month last year. It is said that Sabena will acquire two new fast machines for their air routes to and from Croydon next summer. One is to be a twin-engined '' Caproni '' and the other a Dewoitine. Mr. J. de Vries, Foreign Manager, K.L.M., arrived dur ing the week by Imperial Airways from Paris, and Ml'. Schmidt Reu, of D.L.H., left by his own service for Berlin. A. VIATOR. FROM HESTON MR. F. A. I. MUNTZ, Managing Director of Air-work, Ltd., recently enjoyed on Lord London derry's Belfast estate his first holiday since the company was formed in 1928. It now transpires that Mr. Muntz's holidays are no less fruitful than his business journeys to the East—on another of which he has just started—for plans for the laying out of an aerodrome and the operation of an Airwork Depot on this same Belfast estate, Newtonards, are now well on the way. The Irish charter trips frequently undertaken by the Air work Manchester Depot would be considerably simplified by the co-operation of an Airwork branch in Ireland. " Gipsy Moth " CY, a veteran of 2,000 hours, is due to have her face lifted. She is coming in for renewal of Certificate of Airworthiness, and in order to keep her on the active list, another rebuilt fuselage is being, painted with the appropriate cosmetics, and will be grafted pain lessly on under an anaesthetic. Wrightson & Pearse have, in addition to their charter service, set up as aircraft brokers. They will inspect a machine, advertise it for a reasonable time, and demon strate it anywhere within 100 miles of London, all for an inclusive charge in the form of a percentage on the value of the machine when sold. The service has been in opera tion for about a week, and already about a dozen inquiries have come in both from prospective buyers and sellers oi aircraft. Another machine has been acquired by Wrightson & Pearse for their " drive yourself " aeroplane hire ser vice. It was thought that a faster machine than the " Cirrus II Moth " already in use would be appreciated by hirers, and a " Hermes II Avian," cruising at 95 m.p.h has accordingly been purchased. This will be available at the usual low rate of £2 a day, fuel and insurance to be at the expense of the hirer. Mile. Maryse Bastie\ the famous French airwoman and sales pilot to the firm of Potez, left Heston on Monday for France with one of their products—a roomy cabin two-seater. Mr. Fairweather has been trying for three days " get away to Rotterdam. Apparently the Clerk of the Weather did not catch the name. ... Mr. Nigel Norman, Chairman of Airworks, Ltd., wu shortly take delivery of the first production model oi the de Havilland " Leopard Moth." With a ' WP5-' Major " engine, this machine has a cruising speed 118 m.p.h., a landing speed of 48 m.p.h., and all the very pleasant flying characteristics of its precursor, the * Moth." 1272
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