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Aviation History
1934
1934 - 0096.PDF
FLIGHT, FEBRUARY 1, 1934 would fly for hours over the frozen sea where any possi-bility of outside assistance in the event of an emergency landing was out of the question. On these flights weinvariably carried with us enough food for one month and the necessary equipment for travelling on the ice, sothat if forced down we should have a chance of being able to return on foot to inhabited places or to the last base.On one of these flights we reached as far north as Peary Land, 82° 30' latitude North. In addition to these flights, one of the Heinkel sea-planes flew across the open sea from Reykjavik in Iceland to Scoresbysund in Greenland, and later back to Icelandagain. The other seaplanes were taken direct to Greenland by ship. On the previous (sic; Greenland flight in 1932-33 (sic)much new land and many new islands and fjords have been discovered. In this connection it is of interest tomention that Hr. von Gronau, in his report of the flight across the inland ice in 1931, mentions two mountainchains to the south-west of Scoresbysund which were not mapped then. It is a pleasure to be able to announce thata new map of this part will also be issued shortly. As a first attempt on the part of Denmark at flying inGreenland, it must be conceded that the results have definitely been very successful. But one must be carefulnot to underestimate the risk of flying in Greenland. This vast country is full of risks and surprises, and the climateis very freakish and deceptive. Sometimes a " high " and clear sky may precede a severe storm which springs upquickly, and entirely without the usual warnings, such as a falling barometer, etc. In the same way, ice drift, calvingicebergs and fog often thrust their unwelcome presence suddenly in the way of the flier. But as we with our threeHeinkel machines have flown well over 600 hours and covered about 100,000 km. (62,100 miles) without theslightest mishap or accident of any kind, it is obvious, even if we have been cautious and careful—and lucky, too—that the chances of successful seaplane operation in Greenland are not altogether bad. N. V. P. A MICRO-RAY LINK A new ultra short wave, two-way, wireless communication system which has been installed by Standard Telephones and Cables, Ltd., for the Air Ministry for oper- ating between Lympne and St. Inglevert from January 26 £ir Philip Sassoon formally inauguratedthe Micro-Kay Link, as it is called, between the airports of Lympne and St. Inglevert. Hereceived, by telephone, the following message M. Delesalle, Sous-Secretaire d'Etat au Ministerede l'Air; — " It gives me great pleasure on behalf of M. Pierre Cot,Minister of Air, to inaugurate the new and interesting radio telephone and telegraph link between Lympne and St.Inglevert, which will go far to increase the security of cToss-Channel aerial transport and to strengthen the ties,already firmly knit by the bonds of closest friendship, between our two nations. " I send the cordial greetings of French aviation toBritish aviation, and express sincere greetings to its distinguished chiefs, Lord Londonderry and yourself." In replying Sir Philip Sassoon sent the following messageto M. Delesalle : — " I thank you cordially for your kind message of goodwishes to British aviation and of greetings to Lord London- derry and myself, which I heartily reciprocate. " In inaugurating this Micro-Ray Link I feel certain thatit will very greatly assist civil aviation services between our two countries, and thus yet more securely establishthe ties which have so strongly subsisted since a French pioneer made the first aerialChannel crossing. May this com- munication link between the air-ports of St. Ingleyert and Lympne, now established by ourinterchange of greeting, prove of great service to air transportbetween our two countries." The following messages werealso exchanged: — From M. Jacques Vivant, Sous-directeur de l'Aeronautique Civile au Ministere de l'Air, to Lt. Col.F. C. Shelmerdine, Director of Civil Aviation: — " French Civil Aviation wel-comes the inauguration of the Micro-Ray Link, and gladly takesadvantage of this new means of transmission to send to British THE AERIALS : A general viewshowing the reflector towers erected on the buttresses of one ofthe hangars at Lympne. The actual aerial in each of thesereflectors is less than 1 inch long. The reflectors have to be sightedoptically on to the receiving station. Civil Aviation a renewed expression of its cordialsentiments and friendly collaboration." From Lt. Col. Shelmerdine to M. Jacques Vivant: — " On behalf of British Civil Aviation I cordiallyreciprocate the expressions of goodwill conveyed by M. Vivant. The new Micro-Ray Link will, I hope, provideyet another means of collaborating with our French colleagues in increasing the safety of cross-Channel airtraffic." Sir Philip had intended flying down, but fog and lowcloud prevented him doing so. He therefore left by road in his Rolls-Royce motor car. After he had been goneabout half-an-hour the weather conditions improved slightly, and the "Hart" ("Kestrel") from No. 24(Communications) Squadron, which was to have taken him, proceeded. Ironically enough, but perhaps in vindi-cation of aerial travel, their arrival at Lympne was practically coincident.This service operates both by telephone and teleprinter, and after Sir Philip had left, this time in the " Hart,"the opportunity was offered for those present to send and receive messages. This opportunity was taken, and largenumbers of press people and others sent messages to. and got messages from, their friends in France.The service is one which is being provided and operated 96
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