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Aviation History
1939
1939 - 0146.PDF
64 FLIGHT. JANUARY 19, 1939 CORRESPONDENCE (CONTINUED) getting a licence to fly it and carry passengers is a simple matter. There are no restrictions other than those dictated by common sense, and you may fly just when and where you wish by night or day, and land where you please. The main trouble with private flying and flying freedom is that the source of information, for the novice pilot is from the club instructor, who in turn is governed by his employers, and they, to justify high charges or to make themselves appear im portant, magnify the regulations, difficulties and taboos to such an extent that flying loses a' lot of its attractions. Another trouble is that so many, clubs have always had the same old box-kite-type of aeroplane with weak legs, and pro duce all sorts of fantastic arguments against buying the modern type of cabin side-by'-side aeroplanes which we use, and which makes the old type of flying crate appear a death-trap by comparison. It is a pity that there are not more clubs like ours, which is established on a private ownership basis so that members can use an aeroplane as a private car to visit their friends. Out here in the country it is usually possible to land within a quarter of a mile of one's goal, and rabbit holes are not noticed by the undercarriages of any of our aeroplanes. There is much talk about the tests for flying licence being made more difficult, and the Civil Air Guard scheme will do much to foster such ideas. There are many things which are particular to the Civil Air Guard pilot, so why not a Civil Air Guard test for a Civil Air Guard pilot's licence, which could be made just as difficult as desired by those who are promoting such talk. Then private flying will still remain as simple (and private) as it is now (for those who go to the right place to find out) and true flying freedom will still prevail. Ely, Cambs. , H. R. DIMOCK, Ely Aero Club. THE PILOT'S "A" LICENCE Passenger Carrying Ability: A R.Ae.C. Certificate Suggestion APROPOS to Indicator's remarks (December 15) on the in adequacy of the "A" licence flying tests and the need for modification of the licence requirements ; while modifica tion of the " A " licence presents difficulty owing to its inter national character, it may be of interest to your readers to Empire Air Day: May 20 E MPIRE Air Day, which usually takes place on the last Saturday in May, has been fixed for slightly earlier this year; Saturday, May 20, is the date. Last year sixty Service aerodromes, in addition to thirty civil ones, were open to the public. This year, owing to the continued progress of R.A.F. expansion, it is likely that the number will be even larger. The event will be the sixth of the series. New Lodge Plugs NEW models of Lodge aero plugs are now available in 12 mm., 14 mm., and 18 mm. thread sizes, with screened fittings for conduit-type harness or metal-braided cable ter minals, to interchange with the American and European type couplings. The new plugs and the existing range are described in a new leaflet recently issued by Lodge Plugs, Ltd., Rugby. Taylorcrafts at Ratcliffe S IR LINDSAY EVERARD, M.P., is letting the Taylorcraft Aeroplane (England) Co., Ltd., use Ratcliffe aerodrome for flight-testing their C.A.G. machines which, it is expected, will soon be produced at the rate of five a fortnight. Sir Lindsay's personal pilot, F/O. A. H. Hole, who has been at Ratcliffe for two years, is shortly leaving. He was in the Service in Egypt, Transjordan and at Manston, and flew Sir Lindsay's Vega Gull in the King's Cup Race in 1937. Olympic Gliding T HE first official inclusion of gliding in any Olympic Games has been arranged by the Finnish Organising Committee for next summer, when the twelfth Olympic Games will be decided in Finland. The competition will not take place at Helsinki but at the Jamijarvi gliding school, four miles from the village of that name. It is a three hours' run from the capital. Rules govern ing the event will be confirmed by the F.A.I, in Paris this year. know that in British India there is a rule which forbids the carriage of passengers by an " A " licence pilot until he has completed 25 hours solo and has been certified as competent to do so by a duly licensed pilot instructor. As part of the ab initio flying training course, pilot instructors are advised that the pupil should have successfully undertaken a short cross-country flight, making a landing at an aerodrome which is strange to him, before being granted the passenger-carrying certificate. A rule of this nature should remedy the position to which "Indicator" draws attention. Additional legislation is always troublesome, however, and as a simple expedient it is suggested that the conditions of issue of the Royal Aero Club Certificate be amended so as to be the hall mark of a safe and reliable private pilot. It would probably be argued that to make the R.Ae.C. Certificate more difficult to obtain would entail a loss of revenue, particularly now that there are so many C.A.G. candidates. This would be a short-sighted view, in my opinion, as the R.Ae.C. Certificate is at present an unnecessary duplication of the essential "A" licence. To modify its con ditions of issue would give it real meaning, and a new lease of life. G. L. GANDY. Brockenhurst, Hants. SHORT-CIRCUITING THE PILOT A Landing " Prophecy " TOUCHING upon the interesting speculation in your editorial columns as to the best method of effecting a safe landing with the really big airliners of the future, may I make the following suggestion, or prophecy? Within the next couple of decades the whole landing opera tion will be carried out by the ground control. The pilot will fly to a given point at a set speed, and height, and will then relinquish the controls, which will be " picked- up'' from the ground by a radio system somewhat similar to that at present employed on Queen Wasps. The final approach, and actual touch down, will be automatic in the sense that all relevant data will have been obtained by a series of tests, and their application to the best advantage worked out in advance. Blind landings, with visibility nil, should be not only possible, but 100 per cent. safe. JOHN V. HEWES. Ashtead, Surrey. To-night's R.Ae.S. Lecture TO-NIGHT, January 19, Mr. A. J. Sidery, Assoc. Met. (Sheffield), A.F.R.Ae.S., and Mr. J. W. W. Willstrop, B.Sc, A.I.C., will read a paper before the R.Ae.S. on " Some Corrosion Problems relating to Modern Aircraft." The authors will deal with the effect of heat treatment on the corrosion-resistance of aluminium alloys, the effect of re heating on the corrosion properties of duralumin, the behaviour of aluminium alloys under stress / corrosion conditions, the in fluence of fuels on metals and alloys, organic protectives, joints and jointing materials, riveted joints, radiator corrosion prob lems, reduction of glycol corrosion by inhibitors, and flight tests with glycol-cooled engines. The lecture will be delivered at 6.30 p.m. in the Lecture Hall of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, Storey's Gate, Westminster, S.W.r. Non-members will only be admitted by ticket, obtainable through a member. Over Fifty Airports Exhibitors OVER fifty firms have taken stand space at the Airports Exhibition, to be held at the Central Hall, Westminster, on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, February 1-3. Two years have elapsed since the last Exhibition. The show will be held in conjunction with- the annual Air ports Conference of the Aerodrome Owners' Association. It will not be open to the general public, but a large number of trade invitations are being issued by the A.O.A. from their offices at 32, Savile Row, London, W.i. The customary banquet will be held at Grosvenor House on February 1, when Capt. Harold Balfour, Under-Secretary of State for Air, will be the principal guest and Lord London derry will preside. Current during the Exhibition period, a special Airports Number of Flight (February 2) will be published, containing an advance review of the exhibits and special features of inter est to Exhibition visitors.
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