FlightGlobal.com
Home
Premium
Archive
Video
Images
Forum
Atlas
Blogs
Jobs
Shop
RSS
Email Newsletters
You are in:
Home
Aviation History
1934
1934 - 0152.PDF
FLIGHT, FEBRUARY 15, 1934 CROYDON f~T|j— HE commercial utility of air transport is never more ^ HI clearly demonstrated than during the periodic III " gold rushes," when bullion has to be moved from country to country with the minimum loss of time and with the utmost safety. Last week something like 30 tons of gold left Croydon by air, and some 20 tons were carried in specially chartered machines. Eleven big machines transported about 15 tons during a day of very unpleasant flying weather, and the value of zone traffic control was obvious. There were numerous machines of different nationalities in the air at the same, time, yet there was no confusion, and they were led in to land one after the other with the utmost precision. Several " Farman " monoplanes of a type unfamiliar at Croydon came in with gold on February 6, and there was a Swissair tri-motor Fokker with C.H. marking and a number instead of registration letters. I believe this was the first aeroplane of that company to land at the Airport of London. Its cargo was a ton of gold. Mr. W. Hitchcock, manager of the Shepherd's Bush Gaumont-British Studios, was a victim of the recent dis- turbances in Paris. It seems he received a bullet in the arm and was knocked down and trampled under foot by a panic-stricken crowd which suddenly surged into the quiet street he was crossing. As usual in' such cases, doctors advised air travel, and Mr. Hitchcock made a re- markably tranquil journey from Paris in a " Heracles " aeroplane piloted by Capt. Perry, who took every precau- tion to give a smooth crossing. Last Thursday was exceptionally clear weather, and Capt. Rogers, of Imperial Airways, Ltd., reported blue sky without a cloud so far as the eye could see, a rare occurrence this winter. The boundary fencing all round Croydon is being painted in alternate black and white sections. Before this change it was plain grey galvanised iron of a colour which easily melts into the background in certain conditions of mist. It is said that the new distinctive pattern is visible for a considerable distance by pilots approaching the Airport. Several other improvements are being undertaken. The fumed oak obelisk covered with clock faces which stood in the centre of the Airport Main Hall is being converted into something really useful—a central newspaper kiosk. The Post Office is being enlarged, which is very necessary, because when machines come in everybody wants to send "telegrams, buy stamps and change foreign money. A capacity to cope with normal business is not enough at an .airport where things happen in a series of " short rushes." - Owing to the adoption of big motor coaches of 25-seat capacity, the original space allotted for passenger cars to get in and out of the baggage and mail yard, has become inadequate, and numerous gems of verbiage exchanged between rival drivers, when two coaches would not go into one yard have been the result. We shall miss these swift Cockney witticisms in future, for a grove of trees which promised to overshadow the Airport in the fullness of time has been sacrificed and the space is to become con- crete. These regular drivers, by the way, can do the most astonishing things with their huge coaches with perfect safety. They know every inch of the road between the Airport and their London terminus. The speed of these coaches has to be kept well within the limit of tune in which the journey could be accomplished because passen- gers who find no fault with 125 m.p.h. in the air complain bitterly if they are driven fast between London and Croydon. Monday, February 12, was a day of thick fog at Croydon, and no machines landed at the Airport all day. One com- pany, the Royal Dutch Air Lines, whose terminal in Holland remained clear, was nevertheless able to operate all four services in and out of England. The early morn- ing machine left Croydon in thick fog, and was in clear sunshine a few hundred feet up. The inward morning machine landed at Biggin Hill and cleared outwards from there at midday, and the afternoon inward machine landed and discharged passengers and freight at Gravesend. On Monday, probably for the first time on record, some forty passengers were cleared inwards at Gravesend, and machines of British" French, Dutch, Belgian, and German nationality sought refuge there and " put up " for the night. This is one more argument in favour of what FLIGHT has always advocated, namely, a number of alter- native airports to Croydon for bad weather. These should form an integral part of the whole traffic control scheme and should, of course, be provided with every possible facility. A. VIATOR. HESTON •R. GUY ROBSON recently made a return trip to Cannes in very good time in a borrowed " Gull " (" Gipsy "), his own being out of commission as the result of a forced landing on the way home from the Oases Meeting. He left Heston on Friday, the 2nd, and arrived at Cannes the same evening. The return trip on Monday was also made in a day, leaving at 8 a.m. and arriving at Heston at 4 p.m. Mr. Gerald Fenner Burgoyne, well known in the wine industry, and Miss Ernestine Marie Shirley, left Heston at 4.30 p.m. on the 7th, after their wedding at the Savoy Chapel. They flew to France in a " Puss Moth," piloted by Capt. Ledlie. On Monday, February 5, Dr. W. S. Garden, the Man- chester cancer specialist, who worked for some time under Dr. Bendien, the Dutch specialist, found it urgently neces- sary to consult his former chief. He accordingly chartered from Airwork at Manchester a " Gull " (Napier " Jave- lin ") and made the return journey to Rotterdam via Heston in a day. The flying times and mileage of this fast day's work are given below : —- Manchester, dep. 07.50 a.m., arrive Heston 09.05 a.m. ; 1 hr. 15 min. ; 162 miles. Depart Heston 10.15 a.m., arrive Rotterdam 12.20 p.m. ; 2 hr. 5 min. ; 231 miles. Depart Rotterdam 1.15 p.m., arrive Heston 3 p.m. ; 1 hr. 45 min. ; 231 miles. Depart Heston 3.20 p.m., arrive Manchester 4.45 p.m. ; 1 hr. 25 min. ; 162 miles. Total time, 6 hr. 30 min. Total mileage, 786. Hastings Airport THE Town Council of Hastings has decided to lay out land at Pebsham Farm, on the western boundary of the borough, as a municipal airport at an estimated cost of £40,000. Romford and Gravesend Customs Aerodromes ROMFORD (MAYLANDS FARM) and Gravesend (Chalk) aerodromes have been approved as Customs aerodromes for the clearance of passengers and goods. It should be noted that Romford (Maylands Farm) Airport is suitable for use only by certain types of aircraft. In all cases of doubt, prior application should be made to the Aerodrome Con- trol (telephone, Romford 1700 ; telegraphic address, " Maylands Aerodrome, Romford "). In view of the fact IJ that Customs facilities are not continuously available at Gravesend Airport, prior notification that such facilities are required (stating the date and time) should be made to the Aerodrome Control (telephone, Gravesend 1400-1 ; telegraphic address, " Airport, Gravesend "). Except in case of emergency, the notice should be sent sufficiently in advance to enable the Customs authorities to be in- formed not later than 5 p.m. on the working day i.e., any week-day other than a public holiday) immediately preceding the day on which facilities are required. Aberdeen's aerodrome IT is reported from Scotland that Aberdeen is shortlyto have an aerodrome. The site is at Dyce, a few miles north of the city, where the work of levelling the groundand erecting buildings is proceeding. Already a hangar and pavilion are nearly completed. Yarmouth landing ground THE owner of this landing ground particularly asks that it should not be used until after June, as it is down to hay until then. Notice will be given when it is ready for use again. 152
Sign up to
Flight Digital Magazine
Flight Print Magazine
Airline Business Magazine
E-newsletters
RSS
Events
