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Aviation History
1934
1934 - 0983.PDF
SEPTEMBER 20, 1934. FLIGHT. 985 AIRLINES VIATION = Al RPORTS — AIR LINE DEVELOPMENTS IN INDIA Proposals for Increased Finance. Civil Aviation ReportT HE announcement made recently in the Legislative Assembly at Simla by Sir Frank Noyce, Member for Commerce, that he hopes shortly to place before the Standing Finance Committee proposals for extensive capital expenditure on civil aviation is an evidence that the Government of India are prepared to back their faith in the possibilities of air services in the country. Financial stringency has, during the past few years, acted as a brake on the forward policy. Details of the Government's proposals are not yet available, but the broad lines were indicated by Sir Frank Noyce, when he stated that attention should be given in the first instance to the trans-India, the Karachi-Bombay and the Madras- Colombo routes. On these routes the programme will be to provide per- manent runways at all important aerodromes, to enlarge and improve these, and to provide adequate hangars, to lay out additional emergency landing grounds, and to floodlight the Karachi-Calcutta section. It is hoped, also, to provide obser- vatory buildings and quarters for meteorological staff, a most important move in view of the future development of regular mail services across India to Australia and the Far East. With the meagre funds hitherto available for the purpose, it has not been possible to do more than the bare minimum in rendering the main aerodromes fit for heavy machines in all weathers, and still further sums will have to be spent before even this ideal is attained. The airport in Jodhpur State com- pares favourably with the best that are to be found anywhere in the world, and it may serve as a model for other aerodromes in India. On the subject of training Indians to take their place in the coming development of aviation in the country, Sir Frank Noyce was able to give an assurance in the Assembly that Government would do all they could to give such training in every possible way. Already a number of Indians occupy responsible posts at aerodromes, and others are under training. In the air transport companies themselves, moreover, endeavour is being made to provide openings for young Indians, and only It) recently applications were called for from candidates for theposts of assistant pilots and ground engineers in the leading company operating in India. Report on Civil Aviation The annual report on the progress of civil aviation in Indiahas just been published by the Government of India. The report states that during the year 1933 the quantities of mailcarried to and from India increased by 27 and 29 per cent. respectively. Outward mails were approximately equal to theinward, in spite of the fact that higher postal fees are charged in India, 'ihe amount of freight carried showed remarkabledevelopment, the value of imports by air rose from Rs.8,28,78b to more than Rs.50,60,000, while exports rose from Rs.15,353to Rs.44.20G. More than half of the imports were diamonds. Referring to the internal air lines, the report states that th<?Karachi-Madras route, which is operated by Tata's with only three machines and without wireless facilities, achieved "aregularity of 100 per cent, and a punctuality almost equally good." On no occasion did it fail to make a connection atKarachi with the westbound Imperial Airways service. Mails carried on this route increased by 127 per cent, in nine months.The report mentions the provision in the near future for night flying over the whole distance from Karachi to Calcutta,beacons being provided at intervals of 100 miles. These beacons will be of the automatic, or "Sun Valve" type.The main aerodromes of Karachi, Delhi, Cawnpore, Alahabad, Calcutta, Akyab, and Rangoon will be fully equipped withfloodlights, etc. Discussions, says the report, are still in progress regardingthe extension of the Karachi-Madras route to Colombo, and three other services are projected to link Bombay with Calcutta,Calcutta with Madras, and Karachi with Lahore. The number of flying clubs grows slowly but surely, therebeing seven subsidised clubs and one unsubsidised club in British India, but there are only 29 aircraft available for theseclubs—for an aggregate membership of 1,750. SMART AND SPEEDY : A new D.H.89 just delivered to Hillman's Airways, Ltd. Flight Photo.
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