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Aviation History
1935
1935 - 0206.PDF
no FLIGHT. JANUARY 24, 1935. Commercial Aviation CROYDON Traffic Congestion in 1935 ? •' Those Press Arrangements : Starting Young LOOKING at some of the schedules in and out of Croydon for the summer, I am not surprised that the Air _i Ministry has taken the bull by the horns and issued a special "Notice to Airmen " appealing for the minimum possible communication by wireless from pilots in flight to the ground station. One newspaper finds significance in the fact that "this follows a statement by Hillman pilots that their appeals to the Croydon control often go unanswered far too long." The Croydon Control Tower acts with strict impartiality —as foreign firms will readily agree. Some delay is, at present, inevitable, but most pilots are intelligent enough to know that it cannot be helped and do not '' write to the papers" about it. Aerial traffic congestion will be one of the most vital problems within a year or two. Spanish, Italian, Scandin avian, and even Czechoslovakian companies already show signs of a desire to fly through to England within a year or two, and the programme for the summer of 1935 is heavy enough to make present traffic problems difficult of solution. Neir Services Imperial Airways will have five services each way on the Paris line and Air France three. There will be five return flights between England and Holland by K.L.M. and one, if not two, D.L.H. return flights. On the London-Brussels- Cologne line, shared between Sabena and Imperial, there will be four services each way as well as the D.L.H. night ser vice. Internal routes will be busy, too, for "Provincials" will fly both northwards to Hull and westwards to Pen zance. Railway Air Services make no announcement, but more services may possibly be expected in and out of Croy don from this company. Spartan Air Lines filled very many machines to and from the Isle of Wight last season, and this popular line will surely increase passenger bookings. Very many small machines, by the way, place consider able extra strain on the traffic control system. This cannot be helped at present, but there does seem to be need for economical fourteen-seaters on several internal lines. Apart from Hillmans, who may have more Paris services, this is likely to be an hourly service from Gatwick to Paris, so things will be hectic on that route in bad weather. The mail contract to Blackpool and West Coast Air Services, Ltd., mentioned in last week's issue, seems a well deserved Berlin to Shanghai ? There are rumours that D.L.H. and the Eurasia Aviation Corp., Pekin (in which D.L.H. hold a third of the capital) may open a service this summer between Berlin and Shanghai, using the normal route through Ind:a. The Irish Subsidy The subsidy which Aerlingus Eireann (Air Fleets of Ireland) are seeking from the Government of the Irish Free State is about ^25,000 per annum for a fixed term of years. The Minister for Industry and Commerce (Mr. Sean Lemass) has been considering the company's proposals for some time past, but has not yet announced his decision and may refer the matter to a Civil Aviation Committee which is to be set up The plans of the promoters of Aerlingus Eireann include a twice daily service between Dublin and London and a daily service from Cork to Dublin. It had been hoped that the services would commence on May 1 of this year. Developments at Dyce The extension work at Mr. Gandar Dower's Aberdeen air port is going ahead rapidly, and should be complete in good time for the season's operations. Incidentally, Mr. E. D. Ayre, who has been in charge at Barton during the past year, has gone up to Dyce to look after the aerodrome and opera tional side of both the school and Aberdeen Airways, Ltd., leaving Mr. Gandar Dower free to attend to policies, people and politics. Mr Ayre's considerable experience of control and radio assistance at Barton should be of inestimable "value when Dyce obtains its radio equipment and when the pro jected service to London has been opened. Mr. Starling, of course, remains as chief pilot. All the aerodrome buildings are now fitted with telephones. one, for throughout the winter the services have been show ing over 97 per cent, regularity—an amazing record consider ing northern winter weather conditions. When the Infanta Beatrice of Spain, Prince Alessandro Torlonia and Count Corvadonga stepped from an "Imperial" Paris machine at Croydon last week there were batteries of Press cameras and platoons of Pressmen. When the Duke and Duchess of Kent arrived from the same place by the same means no cameras or Press people were allowed on the tarmac. I am told that the only pictorial representation of the Royal arrival featured a bit of the main gateway and gave an admirable advertisement to a well-known brand of motor car. Talking of Press photos, one of the best I have seen for a long time appeared in several papers last week. O. P. Jones, jun., nJ years of age, in the uniform of a "Worcester" cadet, stood below a big "Imperial" machine saluting O. P. Jones, sen., who stood in the cockpit doorway gravely returning the salute. The occasion was the day on which young Jones was to '' join his ship'' for the first time and, as his father had to take a Paris service, they said good-bye on the tarmac. The idea is, I believe, to spend some five years as a "civil aviation" cadet on the "Wor cester" and then to graduate to Air Service Training, Ltd., Hamble. Four years at Hamble should turn a lad out with "B" licence, second-class navigator's certificate, and so on, all ready, in fact, to become an Imperial Airways first officer in due course. Capt. O. P. Jones, incidentally, went down to the training ship in which his son is now one of the first "air" cadets, in order to inaugurate this civil air cadet section. "Tim" Woods, late of Hillman's Airways, was seen at Croydon recently with a magnificently equipped and luxuri ously upholstered "Dragon Rapide," the property of Major Anson, to whom "Tun" now acts as personal pilot. Nothing whatsoever appears to have been done about the alterations whereby passengers' passports could be examined before they declare their baggage. Local experts foreshadow that preparations to tear the Customs Hall to pieces will be made about June, when traffic is heaviest and that a meet ing will then be called to discuss the advisability of starting structural alterations sure to dislocate air traffic. The result, it is thought, will be the postponement of the whole matter until the following winter. A. VIATOR. For the Africa-South America Service A triple-engined low-wing monoplane with retractile under carriage is being built by the Societe des Avions Bernard for use on the Africa-South America service. It will seat six, including the crew, and its total payload will be about 1,300 lb. Fitted with "Gnome Rhone gKrse " engines, the cruising speed will be nearly 190 m.p.h., and the range 2,765 miles. The Irrawaddy Service On New Year's Day the Moulmein service operated by the Irrawaddy Flotilla Company was extended to Tavoy, and this will now be a regular service. Ye will only be used as a landing place for refuelling when the load warrants it. The service to Mandalay now leaves at 8.30 a.m. instead of 7.30 a.m. on account of the prevalence of fog at Henzada and Mandalay. Both services were operated to schedule and no difficulties have been experienced. A certain amount of special charter work is now coming forward. To the Channel Islands It is possible that by the time Flight appears this week Jersey Airways, Ltd., will have taken delivery of their first D.H.86 "Express " which is, at the moment of writing, being equipped with radio. Giffard Bay is to be its name. In due course the "Dragons," or some of them, may be used on the projected Guernsey service which should come into action this summer. The radio question still hangs fire, but it is likely that there will be a major control station on Alderney, where, incidentally. Jerseys are to lay out an aero drome (having obtained leases from no fewer than 15° tenants!), with subsidiary beam stations elsewhere. Mean while the pilots use back bearings on Portsmouth; Rennes ha^ its own station.
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