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Aviation History
1938
1938 - 2167.PDF
JULY 28, 1938. FLIGHT. COMMERCIAL AVIATION THE WEEK AT CROYDON "A. Viator's" Causerie on Airline Affairs at London's Main Terminal and Elsewhere SOME time ago I wrote of an Imperial Airways traveller of more than 24 stone whom I thought to be a record breaker. I now hear of a regular 25-stone passenger who used to travel to and from the Isle of Man by West Coast Air Services. He could not get into the seats of the Dragon nor along the gangway so they used to rig up a rug-covered soap box near the door. He got through the doorway sideways and they could only book seven people when he travelled, instead of the usual eight. A 'phone call from a Liverpool hospital to Olley Air Service resulted in a quick dash to Ipswich to collect an "Iron Lung " which was then flown to Liverpool. A news paper dramatically mentioned how Capt. Midgeley, the pilot, rushed to his machine with a sandwich in one hand and a half-eaten flying helmet (drat these rats) in the other—or was it the other way round? All Europe Imperial Airways have just started a new London- Brussels-Cologne-Frankfort daily service, using D.H.86 machines for the job. The same firm has just got out a remarkably simple and efficient schedule of European air services which indicates at a glance, so far as Europe is concerned, every air connection to and from London. It includes all companies operating to and from England, and you can look up Abo, Brno, Cluj, Jablonee, Uzhorcd and Zlin, not to mention romantically named places such as Blackpool, Doncaster, Stoke-on-Trent and Birmingham. There is also Karlovy Vary, which one ought to visit because they obviously must brew a rare vintage there. The name practically tells you so, and anyway it says in brackets "see Karlsbad." Frequency of service, the line number, time of departure and arrival, route, fare and excess baggage are all to be seen at a glance in this truly admirable publication, and there is even a jolly little picture of a bed where an overnight stop is necessary. First news of any certainty about the epic flight of the amusing Mr. Corrigan reached Fleet Street from Croydon, it seems. At that time everyone, even officials of the air port, believed that the American flyer was on his way to Croydon. There was, in consequence, an invasion of those who batten on that sort of fare. A B.B.C. mobile unit arrived, complete in sinister dark-green plain van, known as the Green Maria, and a news-talk man whom we will call Uncle Icks (French for x). Thanks, perhaps, to Sir John Reith's influence, the B.B.C. has acquired the 30th concrete post (as you pass in front of the Hotel) ; it is really a private line to Broadcasting House, which is why they always anchor Green Maria just there. Their idea, a good one, was 1o get Corrigan to 'phone Broadcasting House and have him relayed to America. There was also one of these news-reel wagons with two tenders, one managing director, five cameramen, two sound men and one unsound man. At least I took him to be that, for he did all the work and did it wrong, whilst the others nickered at him. For several days during the visit of H.M. the King and H.M. the Queen to Paris, Air France paid this country a graceful tribute by flying small Union Jacks, instead of the usual house flag, from their commercial aircraft. Wrightways have arranged special facilities for cyclists touring the Continent and are prepared to take cycles, or tandems, and baggage for cyclists at an attractive fare. I believe two airport employees, complete with tandem, have already booked to Paris. There was considerable excitement one day last week, I'm told, when a passenger was missing. He had arrived early and gone through the necessary formalities, including paying for his ticket. Leaving the baggage with the com pany, he wandered off, and when departure time drew near all the usual places, buffet, telephone booths, hotel, and so one, were combed in vain for him by psrspiring officials. They looked everywhere, even into some of the "Works and Bricks" pits which are dug about the place to trap the unwary, but they did not look up to the zenith from which, or thereabouts, the missing traveller presently descended. He had been filling in time with a five bob joy flight. Official Thriller The 1937 Report on the Progress of Civil Aviation, which is just out, has a cover which strikes quite a gay not'e amongst official publications. Inside, it is a regular thriller, full of excitements and puzzles. You start with the Empire boats and the Mayo Com posite, which are, in this year of grace 1938, earning an honest living, and you go on to see photographs of giant landplanes which, even to-day, are as seldom seen as Uni corns in a forest. They pop up at official openings and what not, to the joy of Press photographers, and withdraw- again in a manner disheartening to airline operators. Myself, I was baffled by a full-page picture in the Report, of the Willingdon Bridge, Calcutta, to face p. 20, which page, though mostly blank, had a short paragraph on it about a meteorological meeting in New Zealand. I imagine it means something—probably connected somehow with the Official Secrets Act. A gasp is next wrung from the reader who has been admiring pictures of various aeroplanes in flight by the sight of one entitled, " Herd of Buffalo in flight." THE YEAR AFTER NEXT : Con solidated Aircraft are interesting themselves more in the civil market, "ere are drawings of their 100- passenger design for Pan-American Airways. It is intended to have a maximum speed of 276 m.p.h. at 20,000 ft.—the operating height with specially supercharged engines ajid pressure cabin. Some details of the project are given on the next page.
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