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Aviation History
1939
1939 - 0769.PDF
MARCH 16, 1939 FLIGHT. 271 THE WEEK AT CROYDON "A. Viator" Finds a High Wind Educative and Discusses a Mode of Transport, Antiques [Human and Otherwise) and the Ways of Works and Bricks WEDNESDAY of last week was a day of strong wind, which, in some respects, may be quite instructive at a big international airport. There are the "giant air liners" which cease to function because they are too slow to face a strong headwind, and there is a sharp contrast between the manoeuvrability of various types on the ground. Some machines have storm troops standing by to pounce on them and lead them ingloriously to the tarmac, whilst others, huge, dignified fellows, dance giddy waltzes on the apron. Some of the best known types, notably the D.H. Frobisher class and the Douglas D.C.3, appear to be quite unaffected. One way " record " flights were made on Wednesday, of course, the best, all things considered, being Irish Sea Airways, from Dublin to Croydon with six passengers in 1 hr. 28 min. A. D.L.H. Focke-Wulf Condor did Croy don -Tempelhof in 2 hr. 44 min., but one must remember the normal cruising speed of that type. A problem was set for one K.L.M. pilot—with 21 refugee children (fleeing at a reasonably early age, I assume, from a culture likely to impose sparkling carrot-juice instead rf beer)—who had the choice of flying high in steadiness against the gale, and losing a great deal of time, or flying low and more quickly, but in terribly bumpy conditions. The answer is that the pilot flew high and let the schedule go hang. It is also an eye-opener to watch the machines of different companies arrive in windy weather. You can tell from the complexions of the passengers which firms insist that comfort is more important than speed, and, incidentally, "which firms have machines that, in all respects, are suited to economical high flying. Amongst the passengers by a Sabena machine from Brussels were an elderly married couple. What they had heard about our record for road accidents in this country do not know. Anyway, they refused to go to London the normal passenger roach, denied with emphasis any su «gestion that they desired a private car or a taxi, and insisted on a horse cab. AVIATION THE GOLDEN GATE : A distinctly striking picture of one of United Airways Douglas D.C.3S flying over San Francisco Bay and the Treasure Island Exposition ground, which will be seen behind the fuselage of the machine. The Exposition has actually been laid out on an artificial island and this will afterwards be a civil landplane and flying boat base. P.A.A. are already operating therefrom. One of thes# arrived in due course, snorting and steaming, and the old-world spectacle was witnessed of a top-hatted cabby strapping trunks atop of the cab, after which the whole show went swaying away down the road to East Croydon Station. As a matter of fact, I know a certain aviation man who, when ever possible and in whatever capital of Europe he may be at the time, prefers, after a party, to ride home in a horse cab and a state of monumental dignity. One day, in the year 1700 in Cremona, Italy, a crafts man named Antonio Stradivari turned out a brand new violin, shiny and smelling of varnish. Last week, K.L.M. accepted for the night freighter a genuine Stradivarius marked with the original label, which was dated 1700. Air France has received a letter, in this year of Grace I 939, asking if there was, by any remote chance, any air service from London to or near Paris. Now some 81,568 souls (including English tourists, who have no souls whilst in Paris) flew to Paris in 1938—Air France carrying 31,919, Imperials 29,469 and British Airways 19,381. So you would think that some rumour of the air services to Paris might have spread even to the remoter rural districts. I trust that I shall not be regarded as ribald towards Works and Bricks if I comment on the astonishing tarmac- sweeping display given on Wednesday, when the gale was at its height. Of all the places around here the tarmac is perhaps the only area which does not need sweeping. Any dust accumulating there is promptly " slipstreamed." Sweeping Assertion Nevertheless, there was " Gawld Flyke," the pale yellow horse, attached to a sort of dog-cart with a rotary brush underneath and flying the read and white flag. ("Mind your backs, chaps," in the International Code.) The driver was purple, for there was an icy nip to the gale, and the whole outfit staggered up and down three times, drifting sideways when the wind hit it. After sweeping an exceedingly narrow area and accumu lating three small piles of dust, "Gawld Flyke" and partner struck the flag and work simultaneously and went home to their teas. A solitary figure with a broom then advanced and attacked the piles of dust, which were borne by the gale straight into Rollasons' hangar, where those engaged on work of national importance wept like any thing to see such quantities of sand. W. and B. have just been given the job of spending forty-eight and a quarter million pounds in the coming financial year, so the vague and useless wanderings of "Gawld Flyke" don't really matter, and he is indenting for a set of solid gold shoes anyway. Only after writing the above did I find out that the spring cleaning of the tarmac was due to a definite demand from one of the companies that certain loose pebbles on the tarmac should be swept away on account of possible tyre trouble. I always try to be fair to Works and Bricks, and that's (Concluded at foot of page 272)
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