FlightGlobal.com
Home
Premium
Archive
Video
Images
Forum
Atlas
Blogs
Jobs
Shop
RSS
Email Newsletters
You are in:
Home
Aviation History
1946
1946 - 2048.PDF
4O2 FLIGHT OCTOBER IOTH, 1946 CIVIL AVIATION NEWS ments when the reservations are made, and it is their responsi-bility to reserve accommodation lor succeeding stages. An entire through ticket must be purchased at the time of theinitial booking. The conditions which govern cancellations ol reservations have been amended. Instead of twenty-fourtours', forty-eight hours' notice is now required before the scheduled time of departure. If a cancellation is made withinthe forty-eight hours and the service is iully booked, no refund will be allowed unless the seat is resold. It is understood thatalthough B.ii.A. have no service which terminates at Bordeaux, it is possible to fly there on the Madrid. Lisbon and Gibraltarservices, if the number of through bookings will permit. In order to avoid displacing through passengers, therefore, book-ings to Bordeaux cannot be confirmed until shortly before departure. Previous experience has shown, however, thatnormally accommodation is available in both directions. MINISTERIAL STATEMENTT HE Ministry of Civil Aviation issued the followingannouncement on October 1st, 1946: " A number of misleading statements have beenmaue recently about air traffic control in the London area. The facts art; that the system of air traffic control in force atthe London and Northolt Airports is in line with the most up-to-cfate anywhere in the world to-day. Although no onecan say ol airlines, any more than railways, that accidents will not happen, the public may rest assured that no practice whichis, not compatible with the utmost possible safety is tolerated in the London area, or, indeed, at any British commercialairport. Co-ordination of the control at the London and Northolt Air-ports has been developed steadily during the past year. Further improvements in the traffic pattern are about to bemade as a result of consultations during recent months with the operators and the British Air Line Pilots' Association. Thefact that closely situated airports can be operated with perfect safety and without interference has long been demonstrated inthe United States. Further, the number of aircraft movements per day in the London area is not allowed to build up beyondthat which can be handled safely in the weather prevailing. At present an average of only 5J arrivals and departures perday is being maintained at the London and Northolt Airports, giving a total of 700 movements per week for the two airportstogether. This figure compaies with more than 1,000 move- ments per week which have been handled successfully atCroydon for long past. It contrasts also with more than 2,450 movements pei week at such airports as New York and •Washington in the U.S.A. Statements have been made that wartime radar aids havenot been applied to civil airport control—to the disadvantage of civil aviation. Although there can be no doubt that develop-ment in the field of radar and radio will materially improve air traffic handling methods in the future and will makepossible a greater number of arrivals and departures in worse weather than can be handled to-day, nevertheless, methodsevolved directly for wartime needs, where the high standards of safety demanded for civil aviation had to take second placeto operational requirements, cannot be applied to civil aviation without much development. There is much public misunderstanding about the meaningof radar and about the ways in which different radar techniques can serve civil aviation. Although some radar aids to instru-ment approach already exist at the London and Northolt Air- ports, and others are in process of installation, radar for air traffic control is just emerging from the experimental stage andas yet is installed at no civil airport in "the world. The United Kingdom is well ahead in its preparations for such use of radarin the futun;. A demonstration of projected British radar aids for civiluse was held in England in September. " A corresponding demonstration of American aids is being held this month. Thetechnical issues raised are to be determined by the Provisional i International Civil Aviation Organization at Montreal ra'• Novembt'i with a view to reaching essential internationali standardization. In the interim the London and Northolt Airports are beingequipped witn suitably modified military radar aids as an additional saletv check on standard radio navigational aids- ;The problem is largely that of getting supplies of new equip- ; nieut, much ui which has had to be specifically designed to ';.serve the needs ol civil aviation. Until radar and other devices J are available to make possible landings in lower visibility thanat present, the British policy remains that aircraft will be diverted to other airdromes when safety demands it. The /number of diversions and cancellations that are likely has, however, been greatly over-estimated in some quarters. The British Airways Corporation, as the record shows, makethe safety of passengers-their prime consideration. Air traffic controllers are instructed that diversions should be made when-ever the weather is such as to create any doubts on safety. In all these matters the Minister of Civil Aviation is fortunate -in that he can rely for objective technical advice on Sir Robert - Watson-Watt (Chief Adviser on Telecommunications), who hasbeen the leading British exponent of radar, Air Chief Marshal Sir Frederick Bowhill (Chief Aeronautical Adviser), formerly .C.-in-C. R.A.F. Transport Command, and Air Vice-Marshal j A. C. Collier (Director-General of Technical Services), formerly.Deputy A.O.C.-in-C. Transport Command. The experience7 gained in war is, therefore, at the disposal of the. Ministry forpurposes of peace." The statement ends with a list of radio and radar facilities-,either now available or in the process of installation at London ~- and Northoit Airports. LONDON.M..F— D/F. H.F—R/T.Eureka Responder Beacon. SCS.51. SBA. BABS Mk. II in process of installation.ASV. Responder Beacon in process of installation. NORTHOLT. Eureka. SBA. Radio Range. Gee Cover.M.F Beacon. BABS Mk. II. . H.F—W/T and D- VHF—R/TandD, Gee Cover. FF. M.F—D/F. H.F—W/T and D/F.H.F—R/T. VHF—R/T and D/F. OPERATING COSTS HPHE International Air Transport Association have formcJ-*- a special committee to analyse airline operating costs as a basis for international air transport rates throughout Northand South America. The committee is one of six set up by the Western Traffic Conference which met during September inBrazil. This Conference represents one of the nine regional groups through which airlines represented on the I.A.T.A. are.attempting to achieve safety, and uniformity in rules and coft-f- ditions of air transport. , f- Standard traffic forms, tickets, weigh bills and baggage;-'checks have been prepared, and it is proposed to recommend standard conditions of carriage, tariffs, rates and schedules forthe international routes in the Western Hemisphere. Com- mittees have been formed to deal with Government forms,conditions of carriage, reservations and agencies, and the items • already mentioned. J. BREVITIESB.O.A.C. are exhibiting for a further week the art and indus- trial display which was originally staged at the DorchesterHotel on September 18th. The exhibition is open to the public at the Corporation's showrooms, 75, Regent Street, London,W.I, until October 12th, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. residentMr. Juan T. Trippe, President of Pan American WorldAirways, has .been presented by the United States Govern- ment with the Legion of Merit, the highest civilian award.The award was presented as an acknowledgment of the way in which Pan American Airways "contributeddirectly and effectively to every major campaign in which the U.S. Forces were engaged." yZurich has so far been the Swiss terminal for the B E A.1 scheduled service between the U.K. and Switzerland. This u&run by charter arrangement with Skyways, using Dakotas or"; Yorks at their own discretion. Owing to frequent unservice-J-ability of this airfield, the service is now beinj^run to Geneva.?" * * * / A The American Civil Aeronautics Board have estimatedcost of reckless flying in terms of planes lost and ^d to exceed $250,000 during the past twelve months. This doesnot take into consideration the cost in lives and other losses which cannot be measured in terms of dollars. The Boardwarns those who indulge in premeditated reckletsness that they are liable to heavy penalties.
Sign up to
Flight Digital Magazine
Flight Print Magazine
Airline Business Magazine
E-newsletters
RSS
Events
