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Aviation History
1947
1947 - 0048.PDF
44 FLIGHT JANUARY O,TH, 1947 CIVIL AVIATION NEWS cargo and mail at Shanghai, Tientsin and Canton. Chinese airlines are allowed similar traffic rights at Honolulu, San Francisco and New York. The agreement has named the carriers to be made responsible for scheduled operations between the two countries as China National Aviation Cor- poration and the Central" Air Transport Corporation for China, and for the United States North-West Airlines, Pan American Airways and Trans-World Airlines. Three routes were agreed upon, to be operated, apparently, by both the Chinese and the American companies. One is a northern route via Canada, Alaska, the Aleutians, the Kuriles, Japan and Korea. Route two is the mid-Pacific tun via Hawaii, Wake, Guam and the Philippines, and the third route connects China and the United States across the Atlantic, Europe, North Africa, the Middle East, India and Burma. BO.AC. IN 1946 J THE highlights in the steady expansion of B.O.A.C. during1946, the first full post-war year of civil flying, have been the developments of the Empire routes. With the formationof British European Airways in August, B.O.A.C. were re- lieved of the operation of the European routes, and were thusable to turn their full attention to the long-distance services to the countries of the Commonwealth and Empire, U.S.A.and the Far East. In co-operation with Qantas the flying-boat route toAustralia was reopened. The frequency of the B.O.A.C./ South African Airways service to Johannesburg was increasedto four a week, and is due for a further increase to six. The first British commercial services between London and Scot-land to New York were, of course, opened, and are being. operated regularly with Constellation aircraft. The first stageof the "Dragon" route to the Far East was inaugurated by the start of the weekly flying-boat service to Hong Kong.This will be extended to Tokio as soon as possible. A flying- boat service was also opened between Singapore and HongKong, via Bangkok, at a weekly frequency. The Corporation are now operating sixty-three services weekly in each direc-tion, over a gross route distance of 122,798 statute miles. ROCKET ASSISTANCE. AN American Overseas Airlines freight aircraft recentlycarried a cargo of ten tons from Mexico City to New York. The airport is 7,300 feet above sea level, which made it neces-sary for the aircraft, with its abnormally heavy load, to be assisted during take-off. For this the DC-4 was fitted withfour '' Aerojet ' rockets, which were ignited when the aircraft reached a speed of about 105 m.p.h. after travelling about1,600 yards down the runway. The propellent charge includes both the fuel and the oxygen necessary to burn it, and iscontained in steel bottles about 3ft long slung under the wings of the aircraft. CANADIAN REVIEWJ MR. H. J. SYMINGTON, president of Trans-Canada AirLines, in a review of the activities of the company during 1946, referred briefly to its history. Incorporated in April, 1937,T.C.A. reached the stage of operating a full daily service between Montreal and Vancouver two years later. During thewar years, in spite of the shortage of men and materials, it expanded, linking Canadian centres with Chicago, Cleveland,Duluth and Seattle. Trans-continental flights were increased to four a day in each direction and larger aircraft were pur-chased. The trans-Atlantic operation began in July, 1943, as ' the Canadian Government Trans-Atlantic Air Service, entrustedto T.C.A. It was designed primarily for the carriage of mails to and from the Canadian Forces overseas, and for urgentdelivery of medical supplies and other equipment. When the war finished it developed into a fare-paying passenger service.Within the next few months T.C.A. will assume full control under a wholly owned subsidiary company, Trans-CanadaAtlantic Limited. A decline in air-mail traffic has given the company seriousconcern, particularly as the new contract with the Post Office department, which became effective in April, 1946, has resultedin decreased compensation for the carrier. This contract is based on the amount of mail carried rather than, as formerly,on miles flown, so it is important that the r'r transport of mail should be fostered and encouraged. In the United States thishas been accomplished by a reduction in the air-mail surcharge. This diminishing mail revenue was the disappointing factor ofthe year's operations. T.C.A. have had to face those increasing costs which nor-' mally attend great extensions of airline services, involving, as they do, the engagement of new personnel, their training andfamiliarization with new types of aircraft, as well as with the opening up of new offices, airfields and communications. Thesedifficulties were accentuated by the failure in delivery of some new equipment due to the lack of materials arising from indus-trial strikes. The new services which did go into effect, however, are con-sidered to have enhanced the airline's usefulness, and did much to stimulate social and commercial intercourse between Canadaand the United States. At Vancouver the company acquired the large Boeing overhaul hangar, and began the establishmentof a major maintenance base to serve not only the trans* continental but also the trans-Pacific routes. At MontrealT.C.A. continued to maintain the Liberator aircraft used by B.O.A.C. on the North Atlantic ferry service. Several V.H.F.radio stations have been installed which, it is hoped, will give improved air-to-ground communication. Certain instrumentlanding equipment has also been sited. $**& Dakota aircraft are now used on a large section of the trans I/'continental routes. These are slowly taking the place of the Jji ten- and fourteen-seater Lockheeds which are at present inservice. T.C.A. are placing a lot of faith in the new DC-4 fitted with Merlin engines. The prototype, the North Star, wastest-flown in July, and made a flight across the continent in September, when it gave every indication of being a fast andefficient transport. The first production model was delivered in November and is at present being used for aircrew training. Itis hoped that these aircraft will go into service on the trans- continental and trans-Atlantic routes in the new year, andeventually on services to the West Indies and Australia. During .December the thousandth crossing of the Atlanticwas made. This service was greatly accelerated during the year, when the frequency was increased from three a week toone flight every day. The route was extended to London, although Prestwick remained the airline's servicing base in theUnited Kingdom. Within a few weeks it is hoped to be flying regular schedules to Bermuda and between Halifax and Boston,and in the not too far distant future surveys will be made of the trans-Pacific routes. B.E.A. SCOTTISH MANAGER yT HE British European Airways Scottish Division comes int©being on February 1st, and Mr. George Nicholson, director, and manager of the Southern Sector of Scottish Airways, hasbeen appointed manager of this Division. Mr. Nicholson has been associated with civil aviation in Scotland since 1934, whenhe formed Northern and Scottish Airways. This company later merged with Highland Airways and became known as ScottishAirways. Capt. E. E. Fresson has been appointed North of Scotland area manager, and Mr. William Gumming the seniorexecutive officer of the Division. Capt. Fresson was respon- sible for the formation of Highland Airways, of which he wasmanaging director, until the company amalgamated with Northern and Scottish Airways. Since then he has been adirector of Scottish Airways and manager of the Northern Sector. Mr. Cumming, a chartered accountant, has been sec-retary and chief accountant to Scottish Airways since its inception. THE SHANNON CRASH S HTHE cause of the accident to a T.W.A Constellation inJ- Ireland on December 28th is still unknown. A complete investigation is being made by the Department of Industtyand Commerce, Eire, the American Civil Aeronautics Admini- stration, and the Regional Accident Board of T.W.A.The captain and co-pilot, although seriously injured, have, however, been able to make short statements. From thescanty evidence it is believed that up to the time of the acci- dent the entire circuit and approach had been normal in everyrespect, and there had been no failure in any part of +£•• aircraft or in any of the engines. The nature of the wreck&yfaindicates that the aircraft travelled a considerable distance' along the ground before fire occurred. There was certainly nofire or explosion during flight. The aircraft had made a routine flight from Paris, and was making its final turn on tothe approach for a landing at Shannon, when the accident occurred. AUSTRALIAN AIRPORTS /T HE Prime Minister of Australia recently announced theGovernment's policy on airports. In future, all airports at capita] cities, those necessary for the operation of inter-national air services, and those others required as stopping places foi regular domestic services, will be owned, developed,maintained and controlled by the Commonwealth Government. Those airstrips which were constructed by the Royal Australian
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