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Aviation History
1939
1939 - 1985.PDF
&54 JUNE 29, i939 MORE CORELLISATION Government Acceptance of Certain Gorell Committee Recommendations LAST week the Government decisions on the recommenda tions of the Gorell Committee (which dealt with the con trol of flying) were published. This Committee was appointed in October last year because of the considerable public in terest in low flying over populous areas and other similar matters. The details of the Committee's report were summar ised in Flight of March 30, 1939. The recommendations concerned may be summed-up as ad vocating that the public should be protected as far as possible from the ocular and aural discomforts occasioned by low flying, whether of a normal or of an advertising nature; that they should be protected, again as far as possible, from actual physical risk; and that they should be educated to know what is necessary as well as unnecessary in the way of low flying. Those recommendations which have been directly accepted by the Government are that.: — The Air Ministry should " take cognisance of the amenity as well as the safety aspects of flying." " Sky-shouting " should be prohibited for all private and commercial purposes. No increase in the existing number of machines used for advertisement-flying purposes should be permitted, while the licences of those at present operating should not be renewed beyond October, 1941. The problems associated with the development of aviation and the impracticability of eliminating all noise and low flying with aircraft should be made more widely known to the general public. The Air Navigation Directions " regarding the flight of air craft departing from or approaching to land at aerodromes should be modified in accord with modern conditions and practice." A student pilot's licence should be introduced, and the holder of an " A " licence should not be permitted to convey by air a passenger until he has had twenty hours' solo experi ence and has been certified by an instructor as competent. The instructions issued to Service pilots should be amended so as to prohibit flying in such a manner or in such circum stances as to cause unnecessary danger to animals. Finally, that the Air Ministry should make more stringent use of the powers conferred by the existing legislature where the suspension or cancellation of pilots' licences (in cases of offences against the regulations or against aerodrome rules) is concerned, the power being delegated to responsible Senioi Officers of the department. In all these cases the form of the legislation required, when necessary, is being considered, and action is being taken. So far as noise abatement experiments and necessary regula tions controlling such noise are concerned, the Government point out that experiments are now in progress and that a Committee to consider the framing of regulations will hi' appointed as soon as these have been concluded. The Com mittee mentioned the case of Croydon Airport and asked that the necessary improvements should be put in hand as soon as possible, and that, in the meantime, pilots should make use, to the fullest extent, of all the available runways so as to minimise any necessity for low flying. The reply in this case was that while a local rule will be duly made for the runway- use question the improvements scheme cannot, for reasons already given, be carried out for at least three or four years. The Government accepted on principle the recommendations that there should be control officers vested with summary powers to prevent the contravention of rules and regulations at instructional centres, and a method of giving effect to the recommendations is now under consideration. In the mean time the Aerodrome Owners' Association is to be consulted. The Committee also asked that the flight of all machines over areas set aside for defence training exercises at night should be prohibited. In this case the Government pointed out that such prohibition would seriously interfere with the work of the civil operators and also with Service flying and training. It was considered that the objects could be achieved by the suitable issue of Notices to Airmen. With regard to the much-publicised demand that flying should not be permitted over the London Zoo, or at all by such machines as could not maintain height with an engine out of action, over certain prescribed populous areas, the Govern ment felt that such a regulation could not be applied to mili tary aircraft, to those civil machines which are used for anti aircraft exercises, or to machines flying in the vicinity ol training establishments. Certain other difficulties of a tech nical nature arise, and further consideration would be required. Finally, it was pointed out that the Royal Air Force Authorities already take all possible measures to prevent or minimise causes for complaint, and that these measures will be made more effective by virtue of the amendments to the Air Force Act which were made law this year. Elmdon Qpening ON Saturday of next week, July 8, Birmingham's new air port at Elmdon will be officially opened by H.R.H. the Duchess of Kent at 2.45 p.m. Before the ceremony there will be an official luncheon in the Council House, given by the Lord Mayor and members of the City Council, at which the other guests will include Mr. Neville Chamberlain, Sir Kingsley Wood and Sir Francis Shelmerdine. Both the Prime Minister and the Secretary of State for Air will speak at Elmdon after the Duchess of Kent has declared the airport open. From 3 p.m. onwards there will be a flying display by the Royal Air Force and the Fleet Air Arm, and there will be the usual arrival contest for private owners between 11.30 a.m. and4*T2.15 p.m. On the evening before the opening date there will be an aviation dinner at the Grand Hotel. Land-Sea Airport for Tokyo W ITH an area of something like one and a half million square miles, a new aerodrome is to be laid out by the Tokyo Municipality off the coast of Minami-suna-machi, Joto- ku, Tokyo. The landing area is being arranged on reclaimed ground and there will be a seaplane and flying-boat base adjoin ing it. The cost will be approximately ten million yen. As a mathematical reminder, yens are worth about is. 3d. each. Guernsey Figures ALTHOUGH Guernsey Airways have only recently started operations between the mainland and the new airport at St. Peter Port, the traffic figures during May were distinctly encouraging. On the inter-island services, too, the figures have been excellent, and as many as 640 passengers travelled between Jersey and Guernsey—150 more than between London and Jersey. Jersey Airways, of course, still headed the list witty a total of 1,778 passengers on all their services, but Guernsey Airways are well up with 1,275 passengers. Frank Appi ALL who knew him at Hanworth and elsewhere will miss Frank Appi, who lost his life on June 20 when flying on charter work. His machine, a D.H. Rapide of British- American Air Services, was reported missing on a flight in bad visibility from Heston to Newcastle, and later was found crashed near Barnard Castle; Appi and his passenger, J. E. Crouch, the well-known jockey, were dead, as was the radio operator, J. Elmslie. The following are some extracts from an appreciation written by Mr. James Rush, chairman of the London Air Park Flying Club: — "As a pilot he was the safest and most conscientious I hav< ever known. He joined the London Air Park Flying Club three years ago, taking his "A" licence and subsequently his "B." His first commercial flying job was as a private pilot to Mr. Berriedale Johnston, owner of a Stinson Reliant. His next position was as pilot demonstrator of Taylor Cub Aircraft for Mr. A. J. Walter, of Hanworth. In this capacity he visited most of the aerodromes of the country. "With the inception of the Civil Air Guard he took his In structor's Endorsement, and one of his proudest days was when he started instructing with the London Air Park Club at Han worth. As he gained experience he developed into one of the finest instructors'Hanworth has ever known. He had a beau tiful style of instruction, so definite, so pleasant, and so masterful, in a manner far beyond his years. I say this witli absolute authority, for I took my Instructor's Endorsement under Frank Appi and was very proud to do so. "Frank's greatest ambition was to do air line flying, and so it came as no surprise to me when he told me that he was leaving the club to start with British-American Air Services at Heston. The blow of his leaving was softened by his decision still to live at the club because of its proximity to Heston. S we were to enjoy the happy comradeship of Frank for an all too short a period longer."
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