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Aviation History
1935
1935 - 0067.PDF
JANUARY IO, 1935. FLIGHT. 33 A YEAR OF PROGRESS British Commercial Aviation during 1934 •' Some Facts and Figures that will Surprise those who have not kept closely in Touch with Development THERE is little doubt that the year 1934 will go down in history as the most im portant since man first flew, as far as the development of commercial aviation is concerned. Posterity will learn that by 1934 the general public, helped by the gradual ap pearance of a new generation to whom air travel was no new thing, had begun to look on it as a serious means of transport rather than as a perilous adventure; and operators, with the assistance of aircraft manufacturers, were finding it possible to run lines in this country without a subsidy and at a profit. To deal first with internal air lines, at the end of 1933 there were a doubtful thirteen in this country; during last year some thirty-five routes were operated, and the great majority of these will be either reopened in the spring or have actually been running throughout the winter. When the comparatively small size of the British Isles is considered and the extent and excellence of the railway and road transport system are remembered, the figure is surpris ingly good. Save where a substantial sea cross ing is made, the air-line operator is working at a very distinct disadvantage, for the ground organisation does not permit either scheduled night flying or operation in conditions of zero visibility. Our only beacons are on the Con tinental route—where, with D/F, they are hardly necessary—and hardly more than half a dozen aerodromes have night-landing or full radio equipment, though one or two shipping wireless stations can be used. Nevertheless; the year's reliability figures have been surprisingly good on all lines—for which we have largely to thank the determina tion and skill of the pilots—and the fact has been conceded by the Post Office. After August 20 marked mail matter was carried by- Railway Air Services on their Birmingham, Manchester, Isle of Man, Belfast, and Glasgow service, and for some time before, but experi mentally, on Highland Airways' Orkney route. Again, on November 17, Sir Kingsley Wood announced that all mail would be sent by in ternal routes when such a course would expedite delivery, and the late Mr. Edward Hillman obtained the contract to Ireland and Scotland. Next year> in all probability, a number of other operators will have a chance of bidding for their particular areas. One of last year's newcomers was Aberdeen Airways, Ltd., operating from Dyce under the control of Mr. E. L. Gandar Dower. On September n a twice-daily service to Glasgow, using a Short "Scion" and a D.H. "Dragon," was opened, and during the winter season this route is being covered on Wednesdays and Fridays when traffic justifies the trip. This year it is probable that Mr. Gandar Dower will run an East Coast service to London via New castle and Hull. Dyce, which is being rapidly developed, will be one of the finest airports in the provinces. fPoOrkmzvH N ORTH SEA British ''internal" air lines operating during 1934. Services to the Continent are also indicated, but the routes are shown dotted to avoid confusion. The " spider's web " effect, incidentally, is mute evidence of the need of greater co-operation between the various companies, Using Ford Trimotors and a D.H. "Dragon," the British Air Navigation Co., Ltd., apart from their exten sive charter work, have operated between Heston and Le Touquet, Deauville, and Dieppe, the second of the services being in the nature of an experiment. During the season 1,484 passengers were carried. In November B.A.N. Co. was granted a long lease of Brighton airport, to be opened in June. From May 1 to September 1 Blackpool and West Coast Air Services, Ltd., carried no fewer than 3,762 passen gers and some 40,000 lb. of newspapers on a twice-daily service between Liverpool, Blackpool, and the Isle of Man, using a D.H. "Dragon"—an increase of 100 per cent, on the 1933 figures. Regularity was 99.6 per cent., and a
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