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Aviation History
1934
1934 - 0389.PDF
FLIGHT, APRIL 19, 1«84 CROYDON 'WO American business men, Messrs. Pitman and Johnson, left New York on April 3, landed at Plymouth on April 10, left Croydon by the Im- perial Airways African service the following day, and arrived at Kisumu on April 16. They were bound for Katamega Gold Fields, where there is a gold rush, and their object was to corner the drink traffic there, ahead of trade rivals. No doubt they succeeded. London business houses are not always so enterprising, and many of them still send representatives abroad by the modern equivalent of mail coach and sailing packet and then wonder why their competitors are first in the market. Details cannot be given, but an amusing case of this sort happened quite recently, when a business man, who left Croydon by air at 7 a.m. one morning for a Continen- tal city, returned with a big order in his pocket at about the time the representative of a rival house was setting forth hot-foot to catch the night boat in pursuit of the same business. . . Circulation managers and distribution agents of British newspapers visited Holland and Scandinavia last week on a tour of inspection of the K.L.M. organisation for news- paper carriage by air. This business was born and has grown alongside the development of air traffic, and a new habit that of-the daily perusal of British newspapers by foreigners has grown up. The French, Dutch or Belgian business man who does not find his favourite newspaper from England on his breakfast table will grumble as bit- terly as the Briton in similar circumstances. Large and ever-increasing quantities of the leading British newspapers leave Croydon each morning for the Continent by the early morning machines. Mr Tohn Masefield, the Poet Laureate, with Mrs. Mase- field left the Airport of London by K.L.M. on April 10 for 'a holiday in Holland. Mr. Masefield has nothing against flying, though poets are apt to regret that it cannot be done with large white wings against a back- ground of blue sky. Mr. H. G. Wells, whose prophecies of how aviation would develop did not come true, has never forgiven commercial aviation, and does not care tor flySome time ago a passenger with a bicycle left Croydon for Cologne by Imperial Airways, Ltd. Last week, after an extensive tour of Europe, he returned complete with bicycle, which, when he had cleared it through Customs, he mounted and rode away. Two very special consignments of goods left here b> Imperial Airways during the past few days-nothing for an Indian Maharaja and motor-car parts for the King of and Mrs. Leverton, wife of the K.L.M. Croydon manager, who goes in for Cairn terriers. The City of Glasgow, G-EBFL, one of the original " Argosies " of Imperial Airways, Ltd., has retired from air route work after long and faithful service. The machine, minus cloak room and luggage compartment, has been fitted with four extra seats, and now accommodates 26 people for pleasure flying. The " Argosy " left Croy- don—not without shedding a tear upon the tarmac, one may suppose—on Saturday, April 14, in charge of a pilot of British Hospitals Air Pageants, and during the summer it will appear in the aerial circus ring over numerous provincial towns. A preliminary edition of the K.L.M. summer time-table which has just come to hand shows four services in each direction linking Croydon with Holland and numerous other countries. With the D.L.H. services, this gives five opportunities in the day of reaching Holland from England by air The first K.L.M. service leaves Croydon at 7 a.m. and the last arrival is at 8.50 p.m., which brings the traveller to London at about 9.30 p.m. Capt. Andrews, Municipal Airport Officer, Speke, Liver- pool, is on a visit of a week to Croydon to study the organisation of the London Terminal Airport. I under- stand he is to spend a few days in Holland for the same purpose before returning home. One of the pilots informed me recently that the hares on the aerodrome are increasing in numbers. Several, presumably March hares, were so engrossed in chasing each other when he taxied a big machine out that they took no notice of him until he began to take off. They then ran at full speed in front of him until he overtook and flew over them. There are partridges and pheasants on the aerodrome in fairly large numbers, and the place forms a natural sanctuary for ground game and wild life in spite of being built round. Somebody informed me that when a large aeroplane visited an aerodrome where such craft are seldom seen, the rooks were in a complete panic. At Croydon the local rooks merely flop lazily out of the way of a " Heracles, and even, if ihe machine is not heading straight for them, walk away from it. Partridges almost invariably run a few yards and then stand and watch a taxying machine pass them. A. VIATOR. of eggs, yeast estate. samples ana wuiu niuu.M ..«.— ~ w .,*nature, for research purposes, together-with I out of the country by air, but practically none come in owTng to our si7 months' quarantine ***£*«. All the best-known kernel owners export ^ ^ now, as it is recognised as very much better forthclogs than boat travel. Amongst kennel owners who export from Croydon—not unnaturally perap= ar terriers, Jones, of Imperial Airways, Ltd., wno Dreeas uu HESTON N Thursday, April 12, the Comper " Streak '' tookL to the air on its maiden flight. It is hoped that it will be capable of a speed in the neighbourhood of 200 miles an hour, but no figures are as yet ^hrAeUfuticaTCplction Directorate will now have a resident inspector at Heston, where two offices are being nrpnared for his accommodation.P Prince Alvaro and Prince Alonso of Orleans-Bourbon, who are in possession of their Spanish pilots' licences, came to Heston on Tuesday, April 10, for refresher jnsiructaon with the Airwork School. They are on a holiday from Zurich where they are studying engineering, and intend to take their British "A" licences before returning to Switzerland at the end of the week. nv,r ., Miies " Hawk " three-seater and Mr. T. C. Place aover a iviiies "•>"» „ . ., , acnuired a It IS TO DC ilSiUUlCU LUO.I- L"V i " v, -~ built for Imperial Airways are nearing completion. The Bystander flying number the seventh year in succession the _ Bystander tain conxriDULKJiiB vy "»" — ——J • u-State for Air, Mr. K. C. Gandar Dower and Mr. H. of the Royal Aero Club. 389
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