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Aviation History
1936
1936 - 2334.PDF
AUGUST 27, i936- FLIGHT. Commercial Aviation waiting until they are too old to refurbish the necessary schoolboy mathematics (which youngsters can manage without trouble) and then springing an examination on them which is not even straightforward, but full of cun ning examiner's pitfalls. There are people with every possible qualification as practical pilots who can be trusted to take any machine anywhere in any weather, but who will probably never pass "the navigator's" because they are not sufficiently mathematically minded. On the other hand, what shall it profit a company if one of these young prides of St. Adastral's Academy loses his head in a snow storm one day and, despite the differential calculus, puts an airliner through the east window of Salisbury Cathe dral when attempting to land at Gatwick (an airport where it is said never to snow or get foggy) ? Seventeen Years On Last Tuesday was the seventeenth anniversary of the start of the first regular airlines between London (Houns- low) and Paris. Capt. "Bill" Lawford, genial, and now grey-haired, control tower officer at Croydon, took the first machine from England, and did the trip to schedule, carry ing passengers, newspapers, several brace of grouse and some Devonshire cream. Capt. "Jerry" Shaw, now a petrol magnate with Asiatic Petroleum Co. (who, by the way, was seen piloting the Shell-Mex machine last Satur day at Croydon), made the trip from Paris to Hounslow the same day as Bill Lawford, seventeen years ago. M. Bouderie, Air France manager, Capt. Leverton of K.L.M., Mr. Dennis Handover and Mr. Robert Brenard are among some of the people one remembers from those days who are still going strong in the aviation business. In view of the fact that it was in the columns of Flight that the whole RaJlway Clearing House position in regard to certain British air companies was fully exposed, and that it was mentioned that the only remedy was a strong pro test by the Government, it is interesting to note that this has now been done. Apparently the Air Ministry has written to the railway companies, who show signs of capitulation. Last week-end Surrey Flying Services, according to "Colonel" Joe Chamberlain, had a record week for joy riding, something like 500 short flights being made. ' Fine weather and the proximity of the big swimming pool opposite to the airport have much to do with the increased business. In earlier days magicians flew under their own power, but the modern practitioner flies through the air with the greatest of ease by K.L.M. Douglas. Dante, at present delighting London audiences with a " magical revue," came in recently from Holland. It must be difficult to clear a magician through Customs. At the remark, " Anything to declare? " he may produce a rabbit from his hat, a pack of cards from either sleeve and hundreds of yards of paper streamers from the ear of the Customs official him self. Is it wise to search his bag, for example, in case of magic explosions, and could he turn an inquisitive Cus toms official into a guinea pig? Mr. Ben Smith, American airline magnate, is over here with a Wright-Cyclone-powered Vultee six-seater—of exceptional cruising speed, according to Mr. Town, its Canadian pilot. Thought for the week: Ornithologists, now the migra tory season is here, will not only be alert for the Crested Grebe, but also for the Tufted Pou (see Flight of August zoth). A. VIATOR. Coming into Line AFTER long delays it appears that the Air Ministry has at last come to a decision about the type of blind-landing system to be installed at Croydon. Standard Telephones and Cables, Ltd., are now at work on Lorenz equipment for the airport, and aircraft operators will be able to decide on the installations to choose for their aircraft instead of waiting for an ideal which may or may not materialise at some future date. Two More Airports Near London 'TWO new airports in the Home Counties are projected. *• First, it is understood that, by arrangement with the Southern Railway, nearly 1,000 acres have been purchased at Eynsford, Kent, and it seems that a Kentish Gatwick may well be the result. A railway station is to be built. The site is just over seven miles from the Dartford end of the Purfleet- Dartford road tunnel now being driven under the Thames. Secondly, in Buckinghamshire, Slough Urban District Council is to ask the Ministry of Health to sanction a loan ot /65,70s for the purchase of a site. The site, about 190 acres in extent, is at Langley, close to the Colnbrook By-pass and the London road. The Ministry has inspected the site and is prepared to sanc tion it, and felough Estates, Ltd., who own the trading estate at Slough, are giving the matter consideration with a view to making a fixed contribution for a number of years to alle viate the initial outlay. The Scipio Accident JXTIL official findings are received little more can be done ~ than regretfullv to place on record news of the accident to Imperial Airways' Short Scipw at Mirabella, Crete, last Satur day. The boat sank while alighting, and two of the seven passen gers were drowned. Of the five survivors, one was seriouslv injured and the rest slightly. The crew—Capt. A. S. VVilcock- s°n (Commander), First Officer Long, W/O. Birkenshaw and steward Hemming—were also injured. . J he accident, apparently, occurred during a storm. Accord-m g to a statement by Imperial Airways, the Scipio, which w&s flymg from Alexandria to Brindisi, was sunk by rough seas when alighting at Mirabella in the normal course of its voyage. Imperial Airways also stated that, contrary to some reports, no S O S was sent out by the boat before the crash occurred. The Imperial Airways yacht Imperia, which is stationed in the Mediterranean, was anchored about half a mile away from the scene of the accident, and at once went to the rescue. The Short Scipio class has four Jupiter engines and cruises at 105 m.p.h. with fifteen passengers and a crew of four. Scipio's sister ships were the Sylvanus (destroved by fire while refuelling at Brindisi last November) and the Satyrus. Tiff Over Tiree THE Duke ,>t. Argyll does not admit the charge that his •*• ban on a proposed an serv'ce to the Island of Tiree, off the west coast of Scotland, is "a revival of feudal times." That phrase has been used in connection with the Duke's pro hibition of aircraft owned by Northern and Scottish Airways from landing on the island. The Duke, who is s:.- ty-four, has never owned a motor car, and prefers to travel by bicycle, but his chamberlain said he welcomes tourists on Tiree, and would actually prefer them to travel by air. Ti e journey from Renfrew, which takes thirteen hours by ra;i and steamer, can be accomplished in an hour and a quarter by air. "The reason for tne airline ban," explained his chamber lain to a correspondent, "is that the Duke feels that this particular airline behaved in a high-handed manner. They tried to open business negotiations with him, and when they came to nothing they started to act on their own accord. That the Duke will nt* permit "A telegram was sent tc them forbidding their machine to land. As a matter of fact, the Duke was already in touch with another British company arranging a service to Tiree. Negotiations are still pending. It may well be that very soon there will be an air se-vice for holiday-makers who want to go to Tiree." A director of Northern and Scottish Airways told our corre spondent: "We have offered every assistance to the chamber lain to the Duke ot Argyll, and have complied with all his requests. We have nad to disappoint passengers we had booked and have been prohibited from landing in Tiree. We have the assurance of the estate they will enter into nego tiations with us, but so far no steps have been taken by them to do so."
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