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Aviation History
1946
1946 - 1622.PDF
188 FLIGHT AUGUST 22XD, 1946 Round the Clubs The Royal Aero Club Pays Weekend Calls : Seventeen Airfields Visited DURING the last few weeks theflying clubs have been able to getinto something of their 'pre-war stride again. Long-awaited aircraft havebeen delivered, certificated and put into service, and the co-operation of theweather has helped everyone. The in- crease in basic petrol rations for cars isalso beginning to show its effect in more frequent visits by members to their clubs.It was a happy and timely idea that the Royal Aero Club should pay an in-formal official visit to the flying clubs. Accordingly, flying in a de HavillandDove, a party led by Air Commodore Whitney Straight, C.B.E., M.C., D.F.C.,and Col. R. L. Preston, C.B.E., Chair- man and Secretary-General of theR.Ae.C. respectively, and including Lord Donegall, and aeronautical corre-spondents, set off from Heston on the morning of Saturday, August 10th. The Dove was piloted by Mr. I. S.Fossett, of the D.H. Company, and Air Commodore Whitney Straight flew asco-pilot. On the first day, in spite of large areas of- bad weather, thefollowing clubs were visited according to schedule: West London Aero Club, White Waltham; Fair Oaks Aero Club;South Coast Flying Club, Shoreham; Hampshire Aeroplane Club, F.astleigh; Wiltshire Flying Club; Western Aero Club, ' Flight" phougraph.(Above7f~This picture of the gathering at Broxbourne is indicative of thepleasant atmosphere at all the clubs and of the great interest shown in the Dove (Right.) A quick look at the "works"before leaving Elstree. Four quick- release toggle fasteners secure the topcowling. The Dove and its Gipsy Queen engines performed very well. Weston-super-Mare; Oxford Flying Club,Kidlington; Midland Aero Club, Elm- don; Auster Flying Club, Rearsby.The party spent the night at Ratcliffe Hall, Leicester, as guests of Sir LindsayEverard, and Air Commodore Whitney Straight was presented with a pair ofcygnets for the lake at his home near Heston. They proved good passengers. Starting early on Sunday, the partyreceived a warm welcome from the Not- tingham Flying Club at Tollerton, andwent on to visit six other clubs, namely: ' tuijht " photograph(Left to right.) Disembarking from the Dove at Luton are Air Commodore Whitney Straight, Col. Preston, Mr. Fyfe and Mr. Narracott. Yorkshire Aeroplane Club, Sherburn-in-Elmet; Cambridge AeroClub; Luton Flying Club; London Aeroplane Club, Pans- hanger; Herts and Essex Aero Club, Brcxbourne; and UnitedServices Flying Club, Elstree, before returning to Heston in the evening. At each club a previously completed questionnaire washanded to Miss Bance, of the Royal Aero Club, a member of the party, and in thisway a complete up-to-the-minute picture of each club's activity was obtained.Answers to questions included hours flown, numbers of members, types ofaircraft, rates, etc. Everyone remarked on the favourableimpression they had gained of the little Dove; it was quiet, smooth and com-fortable. A quite remarkable perform- ance to the credit of Mr. Fossett and theDove was the full-load landing and take- off at Broxbourne, which has a maximumrun on grass of 700 yd, with trees or buildings to clear at the boundaries. Onthis occasion the Dove, after running-up to full power against the brakes, unstuckin little over 300 yd and cleared obstacles on the initial climb with ease. This enterprising little week-end airtour was voted a great success by all con- cerned, and calls for a repeat fixture. " Fhaht " whotoarawli.
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