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Aviation History
1936
1936 - 1478.PDF
JUNE 4, 1936. FLIGHT. 603 The general appearance of the terminal building with its retractable gangways is well shown in this view. D.H.86 has just come in from Scandinavia. A British Airways' quarters has tended to cause a very important function of the airport to be overlooked by the general public. Lying south of the Surrey hills and outside London's fog.area, it makes an ideal alternative airport to be used either when Croydon is impossible, or when it is so bad that pilots are likely to have to wait a long time for their landing turn. Fcr the present, at least. Gatwick lies in Heston's area, and the London-Continental area has, as explained in last week's issue, been modified to suit the situation. When conditions warrant it there will be a five-mile controlled zone around the airport, and Fit. Lt. W. E. Simmcnds, the chief control officer, or Sqn. Ldr. St. John, his assistant, will eventually be in direct telephonic communication with Heston. In due course, too, Gatwick may have its own short-range direction-finding station. There should be no difficulties in this, as the short-range Southampton station is now working quite well in spite of the proximity of the Portsmouth main station. However, the details of this equipment and of the expected short-wave approach beacon are still undecided, and, for the moment at any rate, all that can be said is that the Marconi Wireless Tele graph Company have sensibly planned for the future to the extent of opening a special wireless service station in the main building. With a circulatory traffic system, ground control presents few difficulties. Machines taxy in on their right, encircle the terminal building until they reach the specific gang way for the use of their passengers, and then carry on in a left-handed circuit into the hangar or out en to the aero drome again. If necessary, it should be possible to deal with a machine every minute without congestion and with out risk of minor ground collisions. Three of the six ex tensible covered gangways are used for the arrivals and three for the departures. The place of the seventh __-^^— gangway is virtually taken by the subway leading to Gatwick Airport station. As far as airport build ings, at least, are concerned, the Martello air station is unique, the circular struc ture graduating from one storey at the outside to four stories in the centre, where the control offices and the like are arranged. On the ground floor the outer circle is de voted to Customs, stores, and freight departments, the next, working inwards, to offices, while the inner con centric space is, apart from the central block, an assembly hall. The floor above is devoted to the administrative work, with a restaurant and balcony, from which a view of the entire aerodrome can be obtained. The entire building is extremely low in height and very compact without being cramped. The Nerve Centre From their glass-encased office at the apex of the build ing the control officers have a perfect view in all directions, and the only part of the landing ground, or taxying area, which is out of their sight is that which comprises the western extension ; this is hidden by trees. Work on the landing areas and runways is now almost complete, though it will be many months before the grass is growing every where. In a year's time everything will have settled down and the airport will probably be one of the show- places of its kind. All the work on the ground itself has been carried out by En-Tout-Cas (Syston), Ltd., and the landing runs will eventually vary from 1,000 to 1,200 yards. Full night-landing equipment is already installed and in working order and consists of three weather-protected floodlights (installed by Chance Bros., Ltd., of Smethwick, Birmingham), each of 1,500,000 candle-power, one or two of which can be used according to the direction of the wind, and a landing tee, boundary lights, neon beacon On the left is the hangar which is occupied by Air Travel, Ltd , while above is British Airways' hangar and operational offices.
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