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Aviation History
1946
1946 - 1330.PDF
FLIGHT JULY IITH, 194G ATLANTIC JOURNEY the selection of the best seat position. Forward near the engines there is naturally most noise, while to the rear there is rather more vibration. The best compromise seems to be at about row seven. In the cockpit and crew compartment, there is an irritating high-whine from the motor on the auto-pilot, but otherwise it is quite quiet. If, as is planned, a serving hatch is cut in the galley door, this whine will be more audible in the cabin. From London to Rineanna the alti- tude averaged 5,500ft and the true air- speed was about 270 kt. On arrival it was necessary to descend through cloud into dirty weather, so some flap was lowered with a characteristic grinding noise, and at about 800 feet in a heavy shower the airfield came into view. After one circuit a very light touch-down was made, and fol- lowing a prolonged period of taxying the door was opened and the cool, damp air rushed in to revive the pas- sengers for their late supper. After a few words of briefing in the aircraft everyone went into the pleasant air- port hotel and enjoyed a meal of steak and cream (second helpings allowed!). Time for take-off was eventually announced (first in Irish then English) some delay having been caused by the freight and paper work. It is important from the psychological point of view that if a delay is unavoidable passengers should be told at once and given a reason. Dawn was already breaking as the Constellation headed West for Gander with a full fuel load. The weather was unsettled and two weak fronts lay ahead over the Atlantic. Without pressure it would be necessary to fly through or under them and during the climb the de-icers on the lead- ing-edge, operating for exercise, could be seen writhing and pulsing in the dim light. By 5 a.m. the position was 53.30 N. 15.00 W. and the speed at 6,000 feet was 20a m.p.h. The cabin was com- fortably hot but seemed rather dry to the throat. Most of the passengers, including several young children (the families of B.O.A.C staff at Montreal) slept comforta- Flown by Captains W. S. May and G. R. Buxton the Constellation Balmoral recently flew direct from New York to London in 11 hours 24 minutes. The distance is 3,521miles and their average speed was 310 m.p.h. and strawberries Captain 0. P. Jones shows Sir Arthur Whitten Brown overthe cockpit of the Bristol 11. Sir Arthur was about to take off as passenger on his first West to East crossing. bly for several hours and awoke for a wash and breakfast to find the over-ocean journey nearly completed. Both air speed and outside temperature rose as the Con- stellation approached Gander and C.A.V.U. (Clear Air and Visibility Unlimited) conditions were reported. The rather lethargic atmosphere that prevailed was soon dispelled at the thought of the prospective landing in Newfoundland, and the time was passed quickly in talking and spotting icebergs in the clear, blue sea 6,000 feet below. Dispensing with a preliminary circuit Captain Stewart let down straight on to the wide East to West runway at Gander, and with the minimum of delay passengers were on their way by coach to the present Airlines Mess, a mile or two round the aerodrome. In the Mess, of standard R.C. A.F. pattern, and bringing back many wartime memories, the dazzling whiteness of the new bread occasioned more com- ment than anything else during the entire trip. Plans are well advanced to utilise buildings nearer to the arrival point for airline passengers. There is an abundance of accommodation at Gander which in wartime had a popu- lation of 7,000 and now houses less than 1,000 people. Having put watches back 4J hours there was much more of the day left at take-off time for New York. The last four-and-a-half-hours leg proved the most tiring part of the whole flight. The heat became rather uncomfortable, jackets were already off, and at our height of about 4,500 feet, just on top of the broken cumulus cloud, there were one or two rather bumpy periods. The problem of initiating Sir Arthur /Whitten Brown, who was a passenger, as a Short Snorter caused some lively argument and as one of the two original Short Snorters, he was finally presented with a certified paper facsimile of a bank note for his first crossing and a dollar bill signed by the passengers or his second ocean flight. The ground speed at Halifax was 236 m.p.h., the height 4,200 feet and the air temperature 17 deg C. After a cooler, steadier stretch over the sea between Yarmouth and Boston, the last leg into La Guardia was completed on E.T.A. and there was no delay prior to landing. The Constellation was soon parked outside the Marine terminal buildings, and : the passengers drinking orange juice to pass 1he 65-minute wait for attention from overworked immigration officials. Next week mention will be made of the retutn journey from Neie York, and characteristics of the Lockheed Constellation will be discussed in more detail.
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