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Aviation History
1947
1947 - 1088.PDF
FLIGHT JULY 3RD, 1947 Bermuda Non-stop ..... proof before they would consent to the method being adopted by airline operators, and so the present series of trials came about. For three months, B.S.A.A. and Flight Refuelling, Ltd., under the aegis of the Ministry of Civil Aviation, are con- ducting one round trip each week to Bermuda, each leg being flown non-stop by taking on fuel in the air in the region of the Azores, which lie conveniently at almost the half-way point on the South Atlantic route. At the end of these trials a further series will be made by B.O.A.C. over the North Atlantic route, with probable refuelling points off the coasts of Ireland and Newfoundland. It is hoped that from these trials enough data and information will be collected to start regular flight-refuelled services over long-distance routes. Figures and Farewells The man behind the whole idea, who has been its main driving force from the start, is Sir Alan J. Cobham. Sir Alan's claim is that British airlines could, by employing flight refuelling, turn what are now national losses into money- making concerns. Flight Refuelling, Ltd., of which he is managing director, state that, assuming three nights per week throughout the year, then, at ordinary rates, the aggregate increment per annum would be increased by one million pounds at a refuelling cost of less than 1 per cent. This claim is based on the fact that a greater pay- load may be carried farther by "topping up " a machine's fuel tanks from a tanker aircraft at some stage or stages along the airliner's route. The force of this argument is brought home when it is considered that 1,000 gallons of fuel weigh approximately 3^ tons, or the equivalent of thirty passengers and their baggage. Let us leave the financial side of the question to the statisticians and con- centrate on the non-stop, flight-refuelled trip to Bermuda as I, in the role of an interested passenger, experienced it. True to the normal passenger routine, the Airways Terminal coach left Victoria at 10 o'clock on a Friday morning and took me to London Airport, where the final preparations for the Bermuda flight were in progress. The weather looked none too promising; rain was beginning to fall, and I began to wonder what conditions would be like over the Azores. After satisfying the Customs officials whom, contrary to most reports, I found helpful and courteous, I met my fellow passengers in the passenger reception building, where we had a quick drink and a final cigarette—the last for nearly twenty hours, as smoking was not to be permitted in the receiver Lancaster. This rule, I hope, would not apply on large commercial airliners which, might eventually be used on such a long-distance BREAK-AWAY : The tanker is seenhere just after breaking contact. The break-away is not felt by either air-craft. Its fuel load was transferred in twenty minutes. DISCUSSION GROUP : Capt. R. J. Cook (2nd from L.) and crew after landing at Heathrow, discuss the return fligntwith Capt. Gordon Store, operations manager, B.S.A.A. . run. Handshakes and farewells completed, we climbed aboard the Lancaster which was to carry us the 3,860-odd miles to Bermuda in one long "hop." I must digress here for a moment to point out that the aircraft we were to travel in was not ideal for pasenger comfort, and we experienced the trip, lasting 19 hr and 14 min:, under cramped and austere conditions. At no place in the Lancaster, apart from on the flight deck, was it possible to stand upright, and the four bunks provided were primarily for the use of the crew. On a routine flight- refuelled service it is possible that Hermes or Tudor air- craft would be used. I am told that the installation of flight-refuelling equipment, which weighs only 300 lb, is a comparatively simple undertaking. Airborne After warming up his engines, Capt. R. J. Cook, D.S.O., D.F.C., D.F.M., taxied out and as we left I noticed Sir Alan Cobham taking a keen interest in our departure. With 2,694 gallons of fuel on board we made a smooth and what seemed like a short take-off run, and at 700- 800ft plunged into cloud on our climb to 10,000ft. Air- borne at London Airport at 10.08 G.M.T., we levelled out forty-six minutes later between two layers of stratus and began our long wait until the monotony was broken, eight hours later, by the refuelling process. The only diversion from boredom came with the serving of meals on and one found oneself taking an normal interest in cold meat pies and frozen vegetables. I would stress here that if long hours must be flown by air travellers the meals should be made as interesting and varied as possible—it really does help. As the time of interception by the tanker Lancaster drew near we all be- gan to take a renewed interest in events, and necks and eyes were strained to "find" our consort. In actual fact it "found" us; almost magically to the uninitiated but, in iact, very scientifically with the aid of :*ureka/Rebecca. The development
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