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Aviation History
1947
1947 - 1319.PDF
AUGUST 7TH, 1947 FLIGHT 149 CORRESPONDENCE The Editor does not hold himself responsible for the views expressed by correspondents. The names and addresses of the writers, not necessarily for publication, must in all cases accompany letters. LICENCE STANDARDS A Defence of M.C.A. Examinations I NOTE with interest the remarks in Flight of July 24th ofyour correspondent " Dutch " on Examinations and Flying Hours We at Air Service Training think that perhaps " Dutch " is not aware of the numbers of foreign students who do take the Ministry of Civil Aviation examinations. Prior to 1939 we had students of 39 different nationalities at our schools, and to-day we have not only French, Dutch, Belgian, Polish d Iraqi, but Iranian, Icelandic, Indian, West Indian, Persian, Palestinian, Norwegian, South African and Cypriot students undergoing Instruction at Hamble for their M.C.A. ex- aminations. The language question is certainly at times a little difficult, but with excellent co-operation on both sides we have obtained very successful examination results. I hope the foregoing will help to convince your correspondent that British training methods and the successful completion of M.C.A. examinations is still the desired achievement of the majority of foreign students. R. J. WOODHAMS. A.S.T., Ltd., Hamble. TOWARDS HAPPIER LANDINGS A Plea for Distance-reading Equipment I, TOO, would like to join "Vertigo" in complimentingF/L. Townson on his excellent account of the B.O.A.C. Liberator auto-approach trials at Prestwick. I am surprised, however, that " Vertigo " made no mention of the value of a distance indicator to the technique generally and in particu-" lar to assist in entering the localized beam at any prearranged distance. Distance-reading equipment has a number of advantages (and is capable of wide application in short-distance navigation), hut none more useful than in association with the auto- approach procedure to give the pilot his exact distance to touch-down point and all the confidence that results from such knowledge. In " Vertigo's " improved instrument layout I feel sure he will make way for the distance indicator; in fact, unless I am much mistaken, he did so on one memorable occasion When the auto technique comes into general use (and the happy little band of pioneers have never for a moment had any doubts about it)—probably about 1951—" Vertigo " hopes, I am sure, as I do, that there in the most prominent position of all will be one of the pilot's best friends, his D.I. J. A. McD. THE LABOURER IS WORTHY OF HIS HIRE Control Officers and their Salaries /"\N many occasions I have listened to " bleats " by aircrews^ and operators of aircraft upon the inefficiency of Flying Control in general. I do not propose to enumerate these, asthey are numerous and often trivial. I, too, have suffered. However, knowing the average Control Officer to be apretty good type, with more than somewhat to do on a busy station, and knowing also the natural impatience of captains I of aircraft to put their machines safely on the ground in asshort a time as possible, especially under unfavourable weatherconditions, one must not always attach too much importance to all of these " bleats." It is interesting, also, to listen to the other point of view.The Control Officers have their " bleats,1' too, and not always without good cause. They have a very responsible job. I feel, but I am open tocorrection, that the best type of Flying Control Officer is the ex-pilot. He can readily envisage the problems that confrontthe normal aircrew and can well imagine the occasional odd spot of " panic in the cockpit." This makes him both patientand sympathetic. I do not say that there are not good non-flying types whoare Control Officers I know there are. This brings me to the point I really wish to make. There comes a time when a pilot, for one reason or another,gives up active flying. He naturally looks around for a job, first, in something to do with aviation, and, secondly, at asalary tha* approaches to what he was earning as a pilot. In the past, what has he found when looking for a controljob which, after a certain amount of instruction, he could fill efficiently and with far less training than the average non-flying type ? What has he been offered to take up this post ? In comparison with the importance of the job, a mere pit-tance. Consequently the majority of the best types must have been lost. " A man shall render according to his talents." To obtain the best talent, a fair and reasonable exchangemust be made. In other words, a decent salary offered. And until this is realized, advertised and put into action by thepowers that be, I cannot see the right men, whether flying or non-flying types, being attracted to these responsible posts. T. NEVILLE STACK. AIRCREW CADET COMPLAINT Disappearance of the White Flash "DERHAPS some of your more Service-minded readers mayA be interested to hear that the days of the White Flash are now numbered. The White Flash was worn in the field servicecaps of aircrew under training. Aircrew cadets are now recognized by the rather strikingbadges on the arms—a laurel wreath surmounted by a rampant albatross. Now, on graduation following months of sweat,blood and toil, of flying courses, etc., instead of the previous sergeant's chevrons one has a most beautiful star to stitchbeneath the rampant albatross! " "CADET PILOT." BALPANIC ? The Transference of Responsibility T THINK the writer of the leading article in your issue ofJ- July 24th, 1947, was more concerned with justifying his ingenious title than he was with the facts of the case. The request for information concerning the responsibilitiesof the airline captain in connection with Flight Refuelling was submitted before the recent tests began, though this may nothave been clear from the Editorial in "The Log." But, more importantly, whether tests prove satisfactory or unsatisfactorydoes not affect the points raised by B.A.L.P.A. In this instance, B.A.L.P.A. was concerned with legislation or pro-posed legislation and not with the practical application of Flight Refuelling. There is surely nothing very curious about a captain beingconcerned about regulations which affect the safety of his air- craft and its passengers when he has another aircraft flvingvery close to him. There can be no transference of responsi- bility from the captain of the airliner to the captain of atanker, however experienced he may be, and in this connec- tion your leader-writer's analogy of the captain of the oceanliner handing over the responsibility for the safety of his ship to a pilot when steaming into port seems curiously strained. For the sake of an ingenious title do not let us condemnresponsible people seeking for information on what, as your writer was pleased to say, were pertinent questions to whichthe general public as well as B.A.L.P.A. were entitled to full and complete answers. At any rate, the Ministry of Civil Aviation, through itsDirector of Technical Services, fully appreciated the spirit in which the Association made its approaches. D. FOLLOWS, Secretary of B.A.L.P.A. [The request for information concerning responsibilities was,as we said in the leading article, perfectly pertinent. Our point mas that it appeared to have been somewhat belated for, asour correspondent admits, the Editorial in "The Log" cer- tainly did not make clear the fact that it was made before thetests began. As for the somewhat sweeping statement that "There canbe no transference of responsibility from the captain of the airliner to the captain of the tanker, however experienced hemay be," it all depends upon what is meant by transference of responsibility, as Dr. Joad would say. If our correspondentdislikes the comparison with a liner captain, he can find many analogies in flying. In the R.A .F. the leader of a flight isskipper of that flight, but his individual pilots are responsible for proper station-keeping to avoid collisions. When an air-craft pilot is being talked-down in bad visibility, lie is sharing his responsibility with the man on the ground.—Et».]
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