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Aviation History
1937
1937 - 0332.PDF
128 FLIGHT. FEBRUARY 4, 1937. COMMERCIAL /\V/AT/ON AIRLINES AIRPORTS IN BERMUDA : This somewhat unusual picture shows how Cavalier's hull was towed from the naval dockyard to the Darren's Island base, where the machine is being assembled. The floats on either side are, of course, quite temporary affairs. This Pioneering THE WEEK AT CROYDON A New Horror : Weights and Measures : Floods : Every Qualification : Co-operation IT appears that last week I treated one of these '' epoch making " flights with scant ceremony. I gave no more space to the departure from Croydon of a pea-green, ' newspaper-owned aeroplane having a Motoring Cor respondent aboard as a passenger, than I should have given to one of those sardonically conceived and cynically executed transatlantic record attempts. How was I to know that a London-Liverpool flight, along one of the oldest air routes—over which Railway Air Services run a monotonously regular daily service—was a '' pioneer flight'' worthy of front page photographs, as well as a large map of perilous and uncharted country? The fault, too, is doubtless mine for not realising that Speke airport is a sort of outpost of Empire '' which we shall make our base for future exploration." Outpost of Empire I have a mental picture of a grim, lonely figure seated on a pemmican keg, writing, by guttering candle-light, dispatches headed '' Advance Base '' ; this in a log hut playfully labelled " Adelphi Hotel." Mind you, they have exciting times, these pioneers. Ordinary hum-drum air line pilots think QBI bad enough, but way up in the Frozen North the Creme de Menthe Express has actually encountered the horrors of something entirely new in the way of bad weather—to wit '' QBJ., or impossible weather." Down here, in the temperate zones, QBJ. just means, '' What is the height of the top of the clouds ? " so you see how difficult this exploration business really is. A curious error in weighing an aeroplane before the issue of its C. of A. created all sorts of ridiculous rumours here last week. The machine was a Brian Allen import, a Stinson Reliant S.R.C., and the weighing error amounted to 4071b., which apparently gave the machine a maximum permissible pay load of a pilot and oolb. or so. All sorts of not very bright young people clustered round bars, telling each other about it, not realising that no firm in its senses would put a machine like the Reliant on the market unless it had a proper pay load. The actual disposable load is, of course, around i,20olb. ; otherwise there wouldn't be hundreds of these machines in use in the States, and quite a few over here. Quite a number of aerodromes appear to have been affected by recent floods, but Croydon, with all its faults, is free from criticism in this matter. Owing to the quick- draining chalk soil, the surface is nearly always admirable whatever the weather. A Notice to Airmen advises pilots, for the present, to find out in advance about conditions at their destination aerodrome, in case nothing appears above the surface except a wind stocking and the control officers head and neck. Local patriotism, however, is strong and cases may occur of officials replying, " Our surface is mag nificent," without adding a rider to the effect that there is a couple of yards of water on top of it. It is strenuously denied, by the way, that a Notice to Passengers will shortly be issued to advise those not fitted with gills to avoid subways and to bring their water wings with them. Olley Air Service, Ltd., had an interesting air ambulance case last Tuesday, when Capt. Morton flew to Switzerland with a lady patient for whom oxygen apparatus was neces sary. More and more use is being made of the air ambulance, and I wonder that no company in this country has its own doctor and trained nurses for such jobs. Abroad, the K.L.M. can always supply an ambulance machine complete with the company's own doctor. Inci dentally, I.am informed that the Dutch Red Cross, .in con junction with K.«L.M., has produced a special stretcher for air work, and that there is even an ingenious attach ment of mirrors so the patient can see the scenery. Bermuda-Bound Mr. N. Richardson, at present in England, is going, I hear, to Bermuda to act as first officer on the Imperial New York-Bermuda service. If one is to believe idle gossip, it appears that Mr. Richardson possesses a Master as well as those of a First- and B" and "A" licences, W/T and licences, First and Second Navi gators' licences, a First Signals, a Second Gunnery, a First Torpedo, a First Anti-Gas, and several ground engineers tickets, as well as such useful licences as St. Joh;1 Ambulance, Dog, Gun, Driving and Marriage. Whether he is licensed to sell tobacco and malt and spirituous liquors in his spare time, I do not know. The K.L.M. Douglas D.C.3 is at present being used regu larly on the London route. Interesting comparative Mariner's ticket Second Mate, R/T operators'
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