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Aviation History
1940
1940 - 1537.PDF
MAY 23, 1940 European Air Services THE speed of, events in the war zone in the last fortnightmakes it impossible for a weekly paper to announce eachchange to its readers before another change occurs, but suffice it to say that though some services have ceased many others are "still running. Among these are the British Overseas Airways Empire route and the service to Paris. K.L.M. and Sabena services are, of course, out of action to England, though K.L.M. continues to Batavia. One of the bombs dropped on Schiphol Aerodrome jammed the hangar doors and many of the aircraft were imprisoned and lost to the enemy. Others were immediately flown to England. Six of the Sabena fleet were flown away from Brussels Airport after bombing started, and reached England. Air France Transatlantique has been granted permission by the Civil Aeronautics Authority to make experimental flights till November i be- tween France and the United States, but considering the gravity of the situation, it seems doubtful whether France will be able to take advantage of this. A bad accident occurred on May 16 at Barcelona when the Italian airliner on the Rome- Madrid route crashed in take-off and killed nine people. American Export Airlines appear likely to be on the Atlantic soon, as the report of the C.A.A. examiner recommends that they be allowed to run a service between New York and Rome via Lisbon and Barcelona for the transport of passengers, mail and freight. The application was strongly opposed by Pan American, but to no effect. American Export's applications for routes to England, the Irish Free State and France were dismissed without prejudice owing to the state of hostilities existing. Indianisation of Air Services IN every air oiganisation in India a large majority of thepersonnel now consists of Indians. The Indianisation of the Tata aviation organisation has been progressively increased. Of a total of 14 pilots, 13 are Indians and the wireless operators are all Indians. Forty-seven engineers and mechanics out of 51 are Indians and of the administrative staff 38 out of 40 are Indians. The personnel of- Air Services of India, Ltd., is 100 per cent. Indian. The.Indian personnel ofthe Directorate of Civil Avia- tion in India is 94.1, of Imperial Airways, Ltd., and Indian Trans-Continental Airways, Ltd., 82.9, of Indian National Air- ways, Ltd., 94.5, of Tata Sons, Ltd., 95.5, of Indian Air Survey and Transport, Ltd., 90.9, of subsidised Flying Clubs in British India 92.8, and of Indian States Flying Clubs 89.6 per cent. It is indeed good to hear that Indians are taking an increas- ingly important part in the running of the air services in their own country and it is consistent with the rise of India towards full Dominion status. But we hope that appointments will always be awarded to those who can serve air transport best, irrespective of colour, race or religion. Only by such an atti- tude will air transport be able to give its best in the service of the world, and it may well be that it will be the greatest single mechanical force working towards the restoration of inter- national peace when this present war has reached its end. News from India '"THE flying clubs in India are luckier than clubs in the •*• countries which are nearer the centre of hostilities as they have been able to keep going actively, and the Bombay Flying Club is able to report .1 total of 335 hours flown for the month of March, which is 142 hours greater than for March of last year. Five new members commenced training for their "A" licences during the month and 11 members have been approved by the Director of Civil Aviation for inclusion in the Civil Avia- tion Reserve Training Scheme. Cross-country flights, competi- tions and night flying are all going strongly. The Hyderabad State Aero Club at Begampet, though it has only a small membership of 84 logged 61 hours for February, and Miss Bookless obtained her "A" licence, being the first European lady member to do so. The U.P. Flying Club at Cawnpore flew 42 h6urs for February, and the Bengal Flying Club reports a record total with 318 hours for March. The total membership is 270. Eighteen cross-country flights were done, which is particularly good seeing that the club has only four aeroplanes, with an additional four maintained by the staff for private owners. There is a total of 151 landing grounds of all types in India. This includes civil and military, government and privately owned. Of these, twenty-three are now open for public use by passenger-carrying aircraft. A "smoke trail" wind indicator is being installed at Juhu aerodrome. Bombay, as the latest of the experiments made by the Civil Aviation Departmrnt to determine the most satisfac- tory form of wind indicator for use under Indian conditions. 483 Civil Aviation News (Continued) Installed in the centre of the aerodrome, flush with the sur- face, the "smoke trail" wind indicator burns oil on an elec- trically heated plate and discharges a plume of dense white smoke. A method of illuminating the smoke to provide wind indication by night is being investigated. An illuminated wind sleeve consisting of a fabric cone of conventional type illuminated from above for night flying is giving effective results in trials at Karachi and will probably be installed at other aerodromes which have been lit for night flying. An illuminated wind indicator formed of plastic material and lighted internally has also been tried out, but is less sensitive than a wind sleeve. Geography from the Air T^TNETEEN girl students of Frances Shimer Junior College-L^ at Mt. Carroll, Illinois, spent their Easter holidays as a flying geography class, visiting New York, Washington andAnnapolis, in an American Airlines transport. Happenings like this will become commoner in the future if full advantageis taken of the aeroplane's capacity to supplement classroom education. Australian Aerial Medical Services TTHE annual report of the Australian Aerial Medical Services-i- dated December, 1939, shows that the fabric of the "mantle of safety," which was the dream of the Rev. JohnFlynn ("Flynn of the Inland") has now been completed and covers the whole of outback Australia. It was due to Flynn,then in the Australian Inland Mission, that the first aerial medical base was established, with the aid of Qantas, at Clon-curry, in Queensland, in the nineteen-twenties. Since then other bases have been set up and each provided with its aero-plane, doctor and radio station. To call up the base and ask for medical aid when needed, outlying cattle and sheep stationsare provided with "pedal" radio sets, so called because the power is provided by pedalling on a mechanism improvised inthe first place out of the sprocket and chain of a bicycle. Com- mercial telegrams can be sent over these channels and thecharge made helps towards the revenue of the service. Some of the base and outpost stations also send weather reports tothe Commonwealth Meteorological Bureau. There are now six bases in all, the other five being at BrokenHill (N.S.W.), Wyndham (W.A.), Alice Springs (N.T.), Kal- goorlie (W.A.), and Port Hedland (W.A.), and these are allrun by the Australian Aerial Medical Services, a non-profit making company which derives its income from donations anda Government grant, which has lately been increased from £5,000 to £7,500. The Australian Inland Mission has handedover its base to the A.A.M.S. but will retain connection with it by the nomination of an associate councillor. Considering the nature of the service rendered in a continentwhich is about 2,500 miles across, the costs shown in the accompanying figures for maintenance are quite low: — ~lonrurryWyudham Port HedlandBroken Hill KalgoorlieAlice Springs Actual 19367 £5,2202,030 2,302798 £10,359 Actual 1937/8 £fi,5302,698 3,1303.8S9 881 £17,078 Estimated 1938.9 £5,6152,020 3,7<S55,100 1,865 £1?,965 Estimated 193940 £7,2302,940 3,9404,915 2,2802,220 £23,525 These figures include radio operators' salaries as well as all flying costs. All the bases are equipped with De Havilland Dragons, twin-engined aeroplanes being very desirable over some of the country. The next set of figures shows the use which is being made of the medical and telegraph services: — QoncurryYVyndham Port HedlandKal^oorlie Broken Hill ...Alice Springs... 12 Months to 39 6 1939 Mileage 51,43611,144 5,691 (7 mths.)9,040 16,975 94,280 Telegrams Ifl,2fi90,213 7,2452,279 2,548 37,554 6 Months to 31 121939 Mileage 22,4424,465 2,5162,605 7,4546,018 (4 mths.) 45,500 Telegrams 8,5024,247 3,0822,009 2,848209 (1 mth.) 20,957 The Alice Springs base is the latest to be established and E. J. Connellan is pilot there to the Government Medical Officer. There are two other flying doctors in Australia, not under the A.A.M.S. One is at Ceduna (S.A.), piloted by Alan Chad wick and run by the Bush Church Aid, and the other is Dr. Clyde Fenton at Darwin, who is an official of the Depart- ment of the Interior.
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