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Aviation History
1936
1936 - 0325.PDF
FEBRLARV 6, 1936. FLIGHT. *43 nthoritics are prepared tQ take the long view and to make revision for aerodromes, even at a present loss,. providing here is a reasonable prospect of the land being progressively- used. STATEMENT II: The vital need in the effective develop ment of civil aviation is adequate ground provision which should be secured by the selection and reservation of sites by town planning authorities. This statement, as you will observe, is. the opposite to the previous one, and here may be given some details of those delaying and discouraging influences previously mentioned. Xhe position of aerodromes in respect to town planning is described in the Ministry of Health's Circular No. 1305, dated March, 19^3- The reservation of land for this purpose is sug gested ancl advice is given on convenient access, freedom from obstructions, and the desirability of reserving land. In actual practice the powers and facilities provided have been utilised only to a limited extent. Some of the reasons given by local authorities for the non-exercise of powers avail able in town planning schemes, are as follows: — (a) The fact that compensation might be payable before they were ready to develop. (b) They 'have been unable to ascertain whether an aerodrome would be used except by a few local flying enthusiasts. (c) The possibility of any return for their money seemed remote. (d) They have seen other authorities construct aero dromes under what appeared to be favourable conditions, only to find that the landing ground was "useless without expansion which could only be made at excessive cost. (e) The promises made by air transport operators have not materialised. (f) In many cases where the town planning regulations have been used, any value has been lost by reserving sites obviously too small for anything but small landing grounds incapable of development into aerodromes of importance. Propaganda The majoritv of these.. difficulties can only be eliminated by suitable education, and every effort should be made to publish the right kind of propaganda for this purpose. It is suggested that a film giving particulars of different classes of aerodromes, examples of the extent to which ail traffic has already grown, and the advantages of air travel, should be prepared and distributed by the Association. The Hull Airport Manager spends any available time in giving lectures to local authorities, chambers of commerce and trade, literary societies and secondary schools, and more of this kind of work is essential to remove misconceptions and make .the public understand the significance of the British air transport industry, and therefore, take an interest in their local aerodrome, projected or established. STATEMENT III: A comprehensive plan is required for the development of aerodrome sites to meet national and local requirements. In the writer's opinion, such a plan is essential, not only !"r the guidance of all local authorities but for the benefit of sir line operators as well, and as a means of enlightening the public generally on this very question of air transport. Before a plan could be drawn up, a national survey would we to be made, and from this it would be possible to denote we national, regional and local requirements. There appears to be ample precedent for national action in '•» establishment of the Ministry of Transport to develop road Md bridge schemes, the appointment of Traffic Commissioners control road transport services, the appointment of Elec tricity Commissioners, and the setting up of Catchment Boards y the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries. "ne possible result of the survey might be the complete up setting of preconceived notions as to the number and class of airports required. But this would be all to the good, for we have at the moment every kind of result of disjointed effort that it is possible, to imagine. Once local authorities know what is expected of them in a national scheme, they will in large measure supply the needs of the community, particularly if they are assisted by way of subsidy or grant from the National Exchequer. If safety is the prime-object of all this ground organisation, which it surely is, then, the problem is a national one and should be treated accordingly. It is a lot to expect any municipality to buy an area of land, provide buildings of all kinds and lighting equipment, maintain the whole place, supply meteorological reports, and pay towards the upkeep of the wireless station where there is one, all on the revenue to be derived from the movements of a relatively few aircraft. In these still early days, if it is agreed that the air transport industry as a whole is a particularly valuable one to this country, the lot of the aerodrome owner is the most costly and unremunerative of the three parties concerned, namely-, the manufacturer, the operator, and the owner, and because m the main the ground organisation just described is to ensure safety, then it is not unreasonable to ask that a grant of say, fifty per cent, be given to cover the capital expenditure on the establishment of an aerodrome and the future maintenance charges. Consideration of the average annual cost of an aerodrome, already referred to, and of the revenue obtainable under present conditions, are additional reasons for suggesting that a grant should be made. , If the sources of revenue are derived from landing and housing fees, passenger and cargo charges, petrol and oil sales, and office rentals, it would need roughly two hundred passen gers every day of the year with proportionate luggage, three operating companies requiring offices, and six aircraft requiring petrol and oil every day to cover the previously mentioned average annual cost of ^5,500. Tt needs very little survey of the present state of air transport to see how far we are from touching such traffic figures. It comes to this: that although a number of new aerodromes are required at the present time in order to enable air transport to be developed and become really popular, the traffic at all but a very few of them will be small, and will take time to grow to the size1 mentioned. Be it remembered that safety is required even when the traffic~is small, which means considerable equipment and radio and meteorological services on a national and even international scale. Hence the heavy initial costs, and hence the argument for them to be shared in. some proportion nationally. The Discussion During the discussion which followed the reading of Major Hamer's paper,' the subjects raised were largely the same as those-dealt with after-Major Mealing's paper. Mr. Gandar Dower pointed out that there was a certain amount of hostility against private ownership of airports, and related briefly his own experience with the Aberdeen aerodrome. Fortunately for him, failure met the effort to pass a Bill w-hich would have given the city the right to acquire Dyce at fourteen days' notice. He was now on the best of terms with the corporation, but there were many pitfalls to be guarded against, and private enterprise seemed to be suspected of attempting to establish a monopoly. One speaker suggested that the railways should be approached and an effort made to establish aerodromes close to railway lines so that instead of competition one could get co-operation between the two forms of transport. Major Hamer did not think much good could be achieved along those lines, pointing out that the railways were already in the field. As regards Hull, he had recommended the acquisition of a piece of land one and a half miles square, and further land outside that area should it be needed in future. Past experience with docks had shown that they did not pay for the first twenty years or so. Similarly, in aviation they had to take the long view and should not expect an airport to pay at once. INSTRUCTORS' CERTIFICATES IN BLIND FLYING AFTER March si competency to instruct in blind flying will form part of the tests for the instructors' certificate ; the existing practice of endorsing the instructors' certi- ""te will be discontinued. r» J-?1 ^ePtember 30 all instructors who wish to renew their ^uiticates will be required to prove that they are qualified 8,ve hlind-flying instruction. Copies of the revised condi tions of issue and renewal will shortly be available on appli cation to the G.A.P.A.N. It is a condition precedent to the granting by the Air Ministry of an instructors' endorsement on the "B" licence that the instructors concerned should hold a current Guild certificate. Failure, therefore, to comply in due course with these requirements may cause the Air Ministry to cancel the endorsement.
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