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Aviation History
1936
1936 - 2149.PDF
154 FLIGHT. AUGUST 6, 1936. FOURTEEN THOUSAND MILES in WEST AFRICA Some Details of a Remarkable Survey Flight rHE airline potentialities of West Afr'ca are constantly being examined and developed by more than one nation having interests in that area. With the object of assisting such opening up of the country, the Shell Company recently sent one of its representatives, Mr. W: K. Brett, on a lengthy air survey of all the landing grounds, whether they were properly equipped aero dromes, emergency clearings in the bush or merely possible sites ; nor were seaplane anchorages neglected. In spite of the formid able opposition of bad weather, fever and other enemies of mankind in such districts, Mr. Brett carried out his task, and his report to the Company is, without exaggeration, a masterpiece of thoroughness. Consisting of sc me SO closely typed foolscap p ages, and illustrated with many photographs, plant and maps, it describes in detail the country flown over, and specifies—as will be seen from an example on the next page—the nature of each landing ground. The Company has had a certain number of duplicate copies made and the information thus made available should be of immense value to all who are at any time likely to require it This article, actually, consists mainly of extracts from the Company's general introduction to the report, and from Mr. Bretfs summing-up. AS those who regularly study the Commercial Aviation Section of Flight will know, the question of run ning airlines through West Africa has been given much study by the various countries concerned. Actually, by the autumn of last year, not only were cer tain regular services in operation, but plans for opening-up additional routes were in a very advanced state, so that the following were either in operation or expected to begin in the near future : — (1) BELGIAN (Sabena).—Service from Europe to Leopoldville vta Gao and Fort Lamy. Extension of this service from Leopoldville to Elizabethville. (2) BRITISH [Imperial Airways Nigeria and Gold Coast) Ltd.).—Khartoum-Kano. Extension cf this ser vice to Lagos, and later to Accra and Takoradi in con junction with Elders Colonial Airways. (3) FRENCH (Air Afrique\.—Service from Europe to Brazzaville via Gao and Fort Lamy, and extension to Elizabethville to connect with Madagascar line. (Aero- maritime).—Niamey-Cotonou, connecting with the through services of Sabena and Air Afrique. Service by amphi bians along the coast from Dakar to Pointe Noire. Mr. W. K. Brett and the "Shell" Percival Gull. It is obvious that all these airlines are dependent for their services on efficient and adequate supplies of fuel and oil, and it is only by inspection on the spot that efficiency of supply can be ensured. For this reason the head office of the Shell Company in London decided that it was high time that a special visit should be paid to the area concerned to inspect existing facilities and investigate the necessity for extensions and improvements. Now, the area in which these lines are operating or intend to operate includes part of French West Africa, Dahomey, Nigeria, Cameroons, French Equatorial Africa, and the Belgian Congo. If the tour of inspection was to be of value its results had to be available at an early date. Only by air could such a large area be visited in a reason ably short space of time. For some years the company has employed aeroplanes for similar, though generally shorter, tours of inspection. The nearest Shell aeroplane considered capable of carrying out such a tour, was the Percival Gull G-ADKX, of the Shell Company of Egypt at Cairo, where it had just replaced the Puss Moth G-ABJV, which for some years had been used for inspection work in the north-east quarter of the African Continent. Accord ingly, it was determined that Mr. Brett, the company's pilot in Egypt, should undertake the proposed tour. Seen on the trip : (Above) Refuelling a trimotor Bloch of Air Afrique at Zinder (French Niger Colony), and (right) a French Naval seaplane being refuelled at Duala, French Cameroons.
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