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Aviation History
1934
1934 - 0028.PDF
FLIGHT, JANUARY 11. 1934 that Spain did not know how to govern her colonies, with the coming of the Republic in Spain relations between the two countries have become more cordial and of late there has been closer co-operation to protect t.ht mail. In spite of these dangers the Latecoere pilots proved their efficiency from the outset. For it is recorded that out of the first 192 mails to make the journey from Toulouse to Buenos Aires, or vice versa, 190 reached their destination; and of the two mails which were lost, one was subsequently recovered. With the increase of efficiency gained from experience one may assume that very soon the air route will be at least as safe as that of the steamer. What a great saving of time for the business houses of all nationalities which trade between South America and Europe has been accomplished by the introduction of the air mail! Rio de Janeiro is to-day only six days from Europe instead of eighteen, Montevideo and Buenos Aires eight days instead of eighteen, and Santiago de Chile nine days instead of twenty-five. But something yet more wonderful is to come. For in a very short time the small fast steamers which to-day make the journey between Dakar and Natal will be replaced by special aeroplanes, of which there will be three in all. The transatlantic stage of the voyage will then be reduced from four and a hail days to afteen hcurs, the 'planes flying by night as well as by day. This new development will bring Buenos Aires within approximately five days from Lon- don. In the air it would seem that all things are possible. I remember a personal incident which occurred when I was in Chile in the spring of 1930, and which goes to show that in South America, at all events, travelling by air is sometimes safer than by road. I had arranged to go by motor with a party of friends to the Pass of Uspallata, on the Argentine frontier. The previous day there was a storm in the mountains. One of the party consulted the meteorological adviser of the Compagnie Generale Aeropostale to ascertain if it were prudent to attempt the journey. The meteorological adviser informed him that he had just received news that snow was still falling in the mountains upwards of 3,000 metres, below which level it was then raining. He said that if it were raining it would be safe, though perhaps unpleasant, but that it would be imprudent to go above the snow-line. He added that " in any case the aeroplane would leave for Buenos Aires at daybreak." BETTER LATE THAN NEVER THE Pander " Poscjager " high-speed mail carrier (three Wright " Whirlwinds ") which was delayed in Italy during a flight to the Dutch East Indies, through a defect in the oil system of one of its engines, resumed its flight on December 27. The machine took off from Athens on December 28 and reached Batavia on December 31. One night was spent at Singapore as information was received that no night landing equipment was in service on the island. The return flight started on January 5. MARSEILLES-ROME SEAPLANE SERVICE As from January 15, the S.A.N.A. (Societa Italiana Servizi Aerei) will inaugurate a direct seaplane service from Marseilles to Rome in about three hours. It may thus be possible to leave London in the morning and arrive at Rome the same evening. Malta can be reached the follow- ing day at about 1 p.m., accomplishing the journey in 1£ days, and thus saving a full day over the shortest previous method of communication. There is no reason why, in the summer months, Malta should not be reached within 24 hours. A SWEDEN-RUSSIA LINE AN agreement has been concluded between the A.B. Aerotransport, Aero O/Y and Deruluft air traffic com- panies for the operation of an airline from Stockholm to Leningrad, via Esthonia and Finland. The Leningrad- Tallin (Reval) leg will be operated by landplanes belonging to Deruluft, and seaplanes of the Swedish and Finnish concerns will be employed on the Tallin-Stockholm stretch. The Deruluft company will resume the regular operation of the Berlin-Leningrad service on May 1, 1934. BOLIVIAN AIR TRAFFIC LLOYD AEREO BOLIVIANO, of Cochabamba, Bolivia, gives the following traffic figures for October, 1933:—144 flights, 303.10 flying hours, 35,700 miles, 1,293 passengers, 190,500 1b. freight and 2,205 lb. air mail. FRENCH SERVICES TO AFRICA AND MADAGASCAR THE route down to the Belgian Congo which will be operated jointly by the French Government and SABENA will be surveyed by M. Louis Couhe, the French Inspector of Civil Aviation. M. Couhe is to leave France towards the middle of January in a Nieuport 590 " Colonial " machine. It is fully realised in France that Madagascar must be connected to the international system of airways. Besides linking up with the Franco-Belgian service the new line would connect with Imperial Airway's route to Cape- town. On the recommendation of Rene Lefevre, who has flown over the route three times, two three-engined mail carriers are being prepared by the French Air Ministry. These aircraft, manufactured by the SPCA, will be fitted with 135 h.p. Salmson engines and will be shipped out to Madagascar shortly. The first flights should take place in May. THE INDIAN AIR MAIL THE Postmaster-General announces that in consequence of a rearrangement of the homeward time-table of Imperial Airways' England-India service in connection with the extension of the service to Singapore, the air mail from India will, until further notice, be due to reach London on Wednesdays instead of Tuesdays. A SPLENDID RECORD : The crew of the K.L.M. Fokker F.XVIII, Pelikaan, in which they flew from Amsterdam to Batavia and back in record times. They are, from left to right, I. W. Smirnoff and P. Soer (pilots), J. M. H. Grosveld (mechanic), and C. H. van Beukering (wireless operator). Unfortunately, we published in last week's issue (page 11) an illustration which was stated to be the Pelikaan, but as a matter of fact the wrong photograph was inserted by mistake. Actually, the machine shown was the Snip—a sister plane on the same service. Sincere apologies !
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