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Aviation History
1945
1945 - 1729.PDF
234 FLIGHT AUGUST 30TH, 1945 AIR-ATLANTIC and the mean headwinds encountered were approximately 15.5 m.p.h. A feeling of great jubilation swept the offices and work- shops of Imperial Airways throughout the world when the success of the flight was confirmed. Quiet satisfaction was expressed, and everywhere it was thought that at last civil aviation was beginning to fulfil its destiny. It appeared certain that soon the airways would be a major component of the world's transport system. These feelings are now facts and much is owed to those pioneers who planned, organised and operated this transatlantic flight, the first which could be classed as something more than a publicity stunt. After one day at Botwood, Caledonia flew to Montreal on July 8th and continued to New York on July gth. A two-day stay in New York allowed for both celebrations 4Btf a full rest, and on July 12th preparations for the return flight commenced. The aircraft left Botwood at 21.20 G.M.T. on July 15th and once again it was an uneventful flight, the arrival at Foynes being at 09.40 G.M.T. on July 16th. The flying time was 12 hours 33 minutes, giving an average ground speed of 159 m.p.h. with a mean tailwind of 17 m.p.h. The comparison between westerly and easterly ground speeds illustrates general Atlantic conditions to the full. After a night stop at Foynes, the-voyage to Southampton • continued, finishing on July 17th; the double Atlantic crossing having been completed without incident and to schedule. There was no triumphant home-coming to Southampton; the flight, after completion, being treated as a matter of routine. It may be presumed that some people were filled with pregnant thoughts, and surely the ancientsupports of the luxury shipping lines must have trembJetf: Caledonia made two more North Atlantic crossings that summer. Then in October, as the westerly headwind com- ponent increased and Botwood became ice-bound, a flight was made out to the Azores to consider the suitability of the transatlantic route via Lisbon, the Azores and Bermuda. The aircraft had then completed its part in the pre- liminary transatlantic work and was transferred to normal flying on the Empire route to the Far East and South Africa. To-day she is still ploughing the same key furrow, tem- porarily restricted to Durban-Cairo-Calcutta. Few who see her glide smot)thly overhead, on her millionth or rnor«» 1 mile, associate her with transatlantic commercial pione£i' work. To those who remeipber she brings a warm glow of hope in a future destmeiafor the benefit of mankind and the integration of tfie nations of the earth. I.C.A.N International Commission for Air Navigation, Past and Future THE history of the I.C.A.N. which now meets inLondon at its 28th plenary session goes back tothe Paris Convention of 1919 drawn up by the Air Commission of the Peace Conference. The Convention was signed on October 13th, 1919, and consisted of 43 Articles dealing with such matters as: General principles of air navigation, airworthiness, the admission of aircraft of contracting States over the territory of other contracting States (an early form of what is now known as the First Freedom), rules for taking off, landing and flying, and steps for the development of air transport. I.C.A.N., also known as C.I.N.A.—Commission Inter- nationale de Navigation Aerienne—was set up under the control of the League of Nations in accordance with Art. 34 of the Paris Convention but remained comparatively inde- pendent. It came into being in 1922 following ratification of the Convention by 14 States, including the United King- dom, the Dominions, India and France. At the outbreak of the second World War 33 countries were party to the Commission, but this did not include the U.S., the U.S.S.R. and Germany. Since 1929, all States parties to the Paris Convention have been entitled to have two delegates on the Commission. Designed to be a permanent body the I.C.A.N. had its seat and permanent secretariat in Paris with M. Albert Roper as Secretary-General. Seven sub-commissions— operational, legal, wireless, meteorological, map, medical and materials—and two separate committees on customs and standardisation were set up and met at regular intervals. Amongst other things, by the terms of Art. 37 of the Paris Convention, the I.C.A.N. is competent to give a ruling in the event of disagreement between contracting States re- lating to the technical regulations annexed to the Conven- tion. It has, however, never had to act as such conflict has never arisen. The functions of I.C.A.N. may be briefly summed up under the following headings: (1) A Council charged with ensuring the application of the Convention and its normal evolution by proposing to the contracting States the amend- ments called for by the development of international air navigation. (2) A kind of international parliament having powers at all times to adapt the technical regulations to the needs of air traffic. (3) A tribunal settling first and last disagreements which may arise between contracting States with regard to the technical regulations which it has power to enact. (4) An advisory committee giving its opinion on questions which the States may submit for examination, and finally (5) an organisation for the collection and dis- semination of all information indispensable to airmen. The present is the final phase of I.C.A.N.'s 23 years of existence, as I.C.A.N. is to merge into the new international body set up by the Chicago Conference. But before this happens several things will have to be done: to provide a wider basis than that possible under the Paris Convention the Chicago Conference drew up a new draft International Convention and set up a Provisional International Civil Aviation Organisation (now meeting in Montreal). When the new convention has been ratified by 26 States it will come into force and countries signatory "to it will renounce the Paris Convention, and consequently I.C.A»N. will go out of operation. This process, which inx'olves considerable preparatory work both in the framing of the future per- manent organisation and in technical details, is likely to take about two years. In the meantime I.C.A.N.'s work will be closely co-ordinated with that of the P.I.C.A.O., of which, as reported elsewhere in this issue, M. Rope' has been appointed Secretary-General. A start in this direc- tion will be made at the present London session of the I.C.A.N. when it will be attempted to bring the Technical Annexes of the Paris Convention into line with the Tech- nical Annexes drafted at Chicago, so as to ensure an even- tual smooth changeover. In particular the Conference will consider proposed modifications of the rules of the air and the amendment of the regulations concerning the issue of licences valid for international flying. Opening the conference, Lord Winster said that much useful work remains to be done by the I.C.A.N., which must bridge the gap until the Provisional International Civil Aviation Organisation can get into its stride. Civil aviation, the Minister said, must unfold its wings without delay, and the task of I.C.A.N. is "to facilitate the resump- tion of international civil aviation on a safe and orderly basis at the earliest moment and, by continuing the study of the application of recent aeronautical and scientific developments, to ease the task of the new organisation when it is ready to take over responsibility."
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