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Aviation History
1934
1934 - 1381.PDF
DECEMBER 27, 1934. FLIGHT. 1385 FROM THE CLUBS Events and Activity at the Clubs and Schools T ANCASHIRE *-* In addition to the Christmas holidav, the Lancashire-Aero Club will be closed on Monday and Tuesday, December 31 and January i. November's flying total was almost double that for the corresponding month last year. First Autogyroptic solos were made by Messrs. Good fellow, Wilson and Gatenby. "VTORTHAMPTONSHIRE -*• ' Bad weather during the week ended December 16 did not handicap the flying at Sywell, and a considerable increase in flying hours was shown, a number of these being put in by blind-flying pupils, one of whom, Mr. F. R. Wilson, has com- pleted his course. New members include Messrs. R. T. Benson and Mr. Eric De Ville, and Mrs. Crossley is taking a course in advanced aerobatics. TTANWORTH -*-J- Flying hours for the week ended December 15 reached 21 hr. 40 min—a very good figure, taking into consideration the very heavy rain and so on. Two " A " licences were obtained by D. "Wilkie and C. Mills, both of the Insurance Flying Club. Cross-countries were made by members to Paris, Stoke-on-Trent, Shoreham and Bournemouth. The reception after the marriage of Mr. A. L. T. Naish (a director of the Aircraft Exchange and Mart, Ltd.) and Miss Hetty Wincott on December 14 was held in the Hanworth Country Club. A formation of Blackburn B.2 machines from Hanworth, and a formation of " Moths " from Brooklands, flew over the church at Thames Ditton. HERTS AND ESSEXNearly 300 people attended the fourth annual dinner of the Herts and Essex Aeroplane Club on December 18. Mr. and Mrs. Mollison, as joint Presidents, read a gracious reply from H.M. the King to a telegram which had been sent to him expressing the loyal sentiments of the members. Mr. Mollison proposed the health of the visitors, and in doing so drew attention to the fact that the Club now numbered 200 "A" licensed pilots amongst their members. Mr. Cathcart Jones, in reply, said that the trials of the England-Australia race, despite the widespread organisation, had only served to emphasise the magnificent performance put up by their Presi- dent when, as Amy Johnson, she flew to Australia without such organisation. Lt.-Col. Shelmerdine, Director of Civil Aviation, presented the following Challenge Cups : The Wrighton Cup to Mr. K. J. Lindy ; the Mollison Cup to Mr. V. A. Ercolani; the Shelmer- dine Cup to Mr. P. T. Buckingham ; the Margaret Blackshaw Cup to Mr. D. C. Mason ; and the Janet Lady Brickwood Cup to Mr. L. F. P. Waiters. After presenting the Cups, Lt.-Col. Shelmerdine drew attention to the progress the Club had made and to the fact that during the past vear they had risen from seventh place in the list of Clubs, according to the number of hours flown, to fourth place. He also jocularly hoped that the Club members would not habitually make forced landings in the River Thames. Capt. F. A. Mason, His Majesty's Postmaster, proposed ilie health of the Club, using impressive statistics of its progress. Up to November this year the 395 members of the Club hail flown 2,564 hours and had gained 34 "A" licences; in the three years of their existence they had gained 122 "A" licences and flown 0,780 hours. Mr. S. A. Perrin replied to the toast and praised the keen way in which the members worked together to make, a success of everything they undertook. Parmentier and Moll, sur- prisingly enough, looked in during the proceedings and received a vociferous welcome. TLTORK COUNTY •*• The annual Christmas party was held at the club on December 15. Some 150 members and friends took part in the dancing and games, and the prizes were distributed by Capt. Norman Blackburn. T ONDON GLIDING •*-* The most interesting news of the month is the official announcement concerning the National Altitude Record estab- lished on September 4 by Mr. G. M. Buxton. At that time it was believed that an altitude of 7,970ft. had been attained, and the sealed barograph and other data were despatched to the Royal Aero Club for official confirmation. After investiga- tion, however, it has now been officially homologated at a higher figure, namely, 8,323ft. (2,537 metres). The true merit of Mr. Buxton's flight becomes more apparent when it is realised that it is within the small margin of 52 metres of the World's Record. The machine used by Mr. Buxton was an all-British Scud II Sailplane, and the club is naturally proud that both the designer and the pilot are club members. The advent of winter has had little noticeable effect upon club activities, although the lack of thermal lift has naturally placed considerable restriction upon cross-country and high altitude flying. Many hours of hill soaring have, however, been recorded, the Falcon, Scud and Westpreussen sailplanes being particularly active, the last-named having made a number of flights for the purpose of testing a new type of low- reading (10-80 m.p.h.) air speed indicator, which has proved highly satisfactory, and is manufactured by Smiths Instru- ments, Ltd. Membership continues to grow at a satisfactory rate, twenty-eight new members having joined since October. A new primary training machine has been added to the club fleet, which now totals ten. Yet another sailplane is on order. Members continue to show increasing interest in glider con- struction, and the committee is at present carrying on negotia- tions which will enable them to provide facilities for glider con- struction, under expert supervision, in London. The club year ends on January 31, but intending members should note that by joining now they obtain full membership privileges for thirteen months upon payment of one year's subscription. College of Aeronautical Engineering : Year's Work Reviewed SOME five hundred people attended the annual dinner anddance of the Automobile Engineering Training Collegeand the College of Aeronautical Engineering, held inLondon recently. The Principal, Mr. C. H. Roberts, in proposing the toast to the automobile and aeronautical industries, gave a brief account of the progress of the colleges during the past twelve months. This year, he said, had seen the termination of the training of the first aeronautical engineering students, all of whom had acquired suitable positions in the industry. In this connection, also, Mr. A. H. Martin had been awarded the Mollison Trophy as the best aeronautical student of the year; this student had been appointed a technical assistant at the Royal Aircraft Establishment, a post which he obtained in competition with 400 others. Mr. Roberts spoke of the great help which the England- Australia Race had been to the industry, and expressed his gratification that they had with them Mr. Cathcart Jones. He also referred to the satisfaction they felt in the fact that a number of the College students had been asked to assist at Mildenhall prior to the take-off of that great race—assistance which had been appreciated by the authorities. Sir Malcolm Campbell replied for the automobile industry and Mr. H. R. Gillman for the aeronautical industry. The latter deplored the continued imposition of petrol tax on the users of aeroplanes, especially as the tax largely goes to swell the road fund. He thought [with justification—ED.] that the College students were very well trained indeed, and that there was always room in the industry for well-trained men. There- after he opened a slashing attack upon the Air Ministry and its regulations, while upholding the tenets of the Gorell Com- mittee as being a panacea for the ills of the industry. Qood Work at Belfast In the first three months' operation at the Airwork School of Flying at The Ards Airport, Belfast, 194 hr. 25 min. have been flown. Most of this was done on the school's first Avro "Cadet," but during November another "Cadet" was put into service. As most of the pupils have been trained " ab initio," very little solo flying was done in the first two months, though November returns show approximately 16 hours' solo to the credit of newly graduated pupils.
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