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Aviation History
19351
1951 - 1337.PDF
FLIGHT CIVIL AVIATION . . . been organized and there is also a marked revival of interest in gliding. The Royal Netherlands Aero Club recently ordered nine Slingsby Prefects and four Slingsby Sedberghs. A new Dutch glider, the KNV 491, is almost ready for its first flight. The Aero Club of Rotterdam, incidentally, celebrated its 25th anniversary on June 23rd. Switzerland: The 1950 annual report of the Aero Club of Switzerland reveals a considerable decline in the total of hours recorded by powered aircraft and gliders as compared with figures for the previous year; the main reason is the increased cost of operation. • Yugoslavia: The government-sponsored Aeronautical Union is reported to have some 64,000 members, who make use of 196 flying clubs. The total of private aircraft and gliders is 350. Eight aviation centres have been created in the larger cities to provide training in all aspects of aviation. Belgium: High costs are preventing any widespread interest in private flying in Belgium, although the National Aviation Club continues to do a certain amount of training. Limited interest has also been manifested in the possibilities of home construction of light aircraft. In spite of financial difficulties several gliding clubs are managing to hold their own. For comparison with the above details, the United Kingdom register of civil aircraft shows that at May 31st there were 554 club and privately-owned aircraft. Last year the Royal Aero Club presented 668 Aviators' Certificates, as compared with 828 in the previous year; the total number of private pilots now holding current licences is about 4,370. The provision of new pilots has, of course, been stepped up considerably by the in- auguration of the A.T.C. training scheme, in which just over 100 licences have already been gained. Although some 68 clubs are currently registered with the A.B.A.C., private flying activity during 1950 was seen to be on a considerably reduced scale. THE Wiltshire Flying Club has this year recorded the verycreditable figure of 1,154 hours. So proud are the Thruxton enthusiasts of this achievement, that, if any other club hasexceeded this total, they intend to present its secretary with a brand-new Verey pistol; this, it seems, is the only way in whichW.F.C. honour can be satisfied. The Thruxton Air Race this year is to be held on Saturday,August 18th, and will form part of the programme at a garden party to be given jointly by the Royal Artillery Aero Club andthe W.F.C. Provided that the secretary at Thruxton is informed not later than August 12th of all intended arrivals, visitors byair will be made the guests of the two clubs for lunch and tea. Club secretaries are therefore requested to forward details assoon as possible of -the numbers of aircraft, pilots and passengers intending to visit Thruxton. An attractive scheme for carrying out cheaper C. of A. over-hauls on Tiger Moths is the latest innovation to be announced by the Wiltshire Club—an organization which, we have noticedlately, is quite often coming up with cost-saving ideas of this nature. The W.F.C. offers to carry through a complete C. of A.renewal for a fixed sum (to be paid in advance) on receipt of details of the date and airframe and engine hour totals sincethe previous overhaul. The work is normally completed within 14 days of the aircraft'sarrival at Thruxton, and during this period the club will lend the owner another Tiger Moth for a fee calculated pro rata on thebasis of £10 per week. If, for any reason, the overhaul period is delayed beyond 14 days, the owner may continue to use thehired Tiger Moth free of charge. During the hire period no "Flight" photograph DERNIER CRI: Presented at Paris was this new French avion de tourisme, the PA-104 Cigale Major. Powered by a 140 h.p. henault, it is actually a development of the 90 h.p. PA-20 Cigale which wasmulUjefore the war.^ The constructor is Paul Aubtrt. In flight at Le Bourget, tfieT " J seen to perform with marked grace and agility. IRISH-TRAINED: This trim little Miles Messenger (photogrjphed here over Dublin) was the only foreign-registered machine in this year's programme entries for the King's Cup Race. It is to be hoped that its pilot and owner, Mr. R. Matthews-Naper, will still have a chance to show its paces if the plan to hold the race at the time of the forth- coming S.B.A.C. display at Farnborough is realised. restriction is placed on the number of hours which can be flown on the replacement Tiger. Under this arrangement club operators and private owners stand to benefit by enjoying continuity of flying throughout the season without the reduction in utilization which C. of A. renewals usually entail. , ALTHOUGH carrying only four aircraft on its strength, theSouthend Aero Club has braved the elements this year to the extent of logging 920 flying hours—an achievement of which the club is justifiably proud. A number of private and commercial licences have been awarded to members since the beginning of the year, and it is worthy of note that the fair sex was well repre- sented among the recipients. Miss Barbara Pickett recently reached Private Licence standard, and three more women are now working up to their final tests. Incidentally, the prototype Dart Kitten, G-AEXT, is now avail- able at Southend at the very reasonable rate of 30s per hour. The only other Kitten believed to be airworthy at the moment is flying at Broxbourne airfield—the home of the Herts and Essex Club, who have found it possible to offer their Kitten at a similar rate. At Broxbourne, also, the Piper J3C-65 Cub is available at 30s per hour. ANOTHER scene of increased activity recently has been the• home of the Denham Flying Club, where 34 members are now under instruction. The 650 hours which have been logged this year have carried with them the award of no fewer than 16 Private Licences. An interesting deviation from the normal routine of instructional flying at Denham is practice in the art of parachuting, in which several members have been showing keen interest. The pupils are hoping to make exhibition jumps at forthcoming displays. Aerial banner-towing has been carried out by club aircraft this year, and has proved a profitable divertissement. The club's first consignment of A.T.C. cadets—due to arrive shortly—should also help to improve aircraft utilization figures. THE attention of gliding enthusiasts is drawn to the fact thatmost of the arrangements for the National Gliding Champion- ships—to be held at the Camphill (Derbyshire) site July 2ist-29th —have now been completed. For the duration of the contests mem- bers of gliding clubs and private owners may become temporary associate members of the Derbyshire and Lancashire Club on payment of a fee of 5s. Accommodation in tents will be made available at the site for those desiring it. Members of the public will be admitted to the site for is 6d and car-park fee is 2s. There are also a number of hotels within five miles of Camphill, details of which may be obtained by writing to the secretary of the D. and L.G.C. at "Stonycroft," London Road, Alderley pdge, Cheshire. '"TANGIBLE evidence of the re-birth of interest in gliding in A Germany was afforded by the International Alpine Soaring Conference, held in Munich from June 29th to July 1st by the Bavarian Aviation Union. The conference confined itself mainly to the subject of "standing waves." One of the speakers, Herr jHirth, president of the newly resuscitated German Aero Club, said that although some 100 amateur groups were already at work on home construction of gliders, it would be at least two years before German soaring pilots could compete on equal terms with those of other nations.
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