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Aviation History
1947
1947 - 1626.PDF
34° FLIGHT SEPTEMBER ISTH, 1947 Civil Aviation News The Martin 202, which in August became the first American airliner type of post war design to be certified by the C.A.A. for airline use, will, it is understood, be put into service this month on North-west Airlines routes • # * An Aerogram service in both directions—air to ground and ground to air—is now available to passengers travelling in TAA Skymasters flying between Melbourne, Adelaide and Perth. It is believed that this is the first two-way service in the world. * # * The Australian Civil Aviation Department has cancelled apermit granted ten months ago for operating air services on a route which offers competition with the State-owned railways.It is understood that other applications are being held up by the State Department for similar reasons. • * * Discussions on the terms of an agreement between the United Kingdom and Czechoslovakia governing the operation of air services, were concluded in London on September gth, and it is expected the Agreement will be signed in Prague in the near future. The British Air Charter Association Traffic Office at Croydon will be closed after September 30th. It is understood that companies not normally based at Croydon but flying into the airport are now able to arrange for their traffic to be handled by those companies with traffic staffs. The Golden Hind, which was recently taken out of servicewith B.O.A.C., is now for sale. It was suggested at one time that this remaining " G " Class flying boat might be used forair cruises, but the idea was apparently abandoned, and it may be assumed that if no buyers are forthcoming the flying-boatwill be broken up. * • • Last month Swissair made a training flight across the NorthAtlantic with a Skymaster. Landings were made at diversion airfields, and range flying, navigation, wireless and met. con-ditions were studied. The return flight was made via the Azores. * -. » The route mileage covered by B.E.A. (English Division) inFebruary, the first month of operation, was 1,51b miles. In July the route mileage had increased to 2,907 miles. Duringthe same period the number of passengers carried increased from 2,988 to 36,723, and the total carried in the six monthswas 107,912. More than 490 tons of freight was also carried during the same period. * # # The Pan-American service to San Francisco and Tokyo willstart on September 25th. The route will be through Honolulu to Wake Island and thence direct to Tokyo. The service wiliactually be extended to Shanghai and Hongkong-Bangkok- Siam to Calcutta to make direct connections with Pan-American aircraft flying eastwards. * * * On September 3rd the American Overseas Airlines Constella-tion, the London Mercury, left La Guardia to make the 15,000th transatlantic crossing by the company. The crossings havebeen made in five years and include regular schedules and the military and naval contract operations during the war. FROM THE CLUBS TWO members of the Luton FlyingClub accomplished their first solos during August and both have nowobtained their "A" licences. The elec- tion of 20 full flying members to the clubduring the month has brought the num- ber of full flying members up to 200 andthe total flying hours for the month was well over 300. The club's Rapide is stilldoing sterling work and flights made during August included trips to the Isleof Man, the Channel Isles and the Con- tinent. # * * The W.J.A.C. has now announced thewinner of the flying scholarship for the North of England area. She is MissDorothy White, of 14, Marina Grove, Runcorn, Cheshire, who has been a keenmember of the W.J.A.C. since 1942. She will take her flying training for her " A "licence at Barton airfield during week puds. At Elstree, the United Services FlyingClub flew a total of 201 hours last month. The air pageant held there recently has resulted in many newmembers joining the club, and-membership now numbers 243. The activity of the club has been augmented with the influxof the American Embassy Flying Club, which has now moved its headquarters from White Waltham to the Elstreeairfield. * * * The first glider crossing of the Solent was made recently byMr. R. E. Pears, a company director, of the Surrey Gliding Club, in an Eon Olympia. Mr. Pears was towed off fromRedhill and released 2,000ft over the airfield at 12.55 a-m- Immediately finding lift, he soared to 5,000ft, in cloud, andwith a moderate northerly wind he reached Portsmouth and then flew west along the south coast before turning south andlanding at Cowes airport at 15.50. He was met by Mr. Russell Gunton, managing director of Somerton Airways, Ltd., whoarranged a tow back to Redhill by an Auster Autocrat later in the day. • # • No time was lost by the Cambridge and University Aero Clubs during the good weather of last month. They flew every day and brought their monthly total of flying hours up to 275. This figure included five hours' night flying for "B" licence tests, cross-country flying and a considerable number of aero- tows carried out for the Cambridge University Gliding Club. T/ie three-seoter Newbury £on gave its first public demonstration at the Radlett Display. Built by Elliot's of Newbury it has a Cirrus tj, 100 h.p. engine. A second prototype is a be produced powered by a 125 h.p. Lycoming engine. Two first solos and "A" licence tests were successfully completed during the month. * * * The large crowd who attended the Air Rally at Cowesport on Sunday, September 7th, was disappointed to be fa#. after five months of continual sunshine, with a dull day ofunbroken cloud and showers of rain. However, some 4,000 people and fifty aircraft attended during the afternoon. Itwas regretted that some fifty visiting club aircraft were unable to attend on account of the widespread bad conditions. The flying programme proceeded in a modified form. Dis-plays and demonstrations took place including a clever per- formance by Mr. O. Holmes in a Piper Cub and Mr. PeteGooch who offered the spectators "P/O. Prune's first solo,' an amusing performance of prunish hamfistedness. The spot landing and mock bombing competitions werecarried out, the latter providing a lot of fun as each aircraft dive-bombed a tractor in the airfield whose driver nonchalantlydisregarded the sawdust bombs falling around him. Mr. Prtei Grant put up an excellent average with his three bombs andwon the first prize. The second prize was won by Mr. Coltman. The spot landing was also won by Mr. Peter Grant in hisMagister. The Air Rally was followed by a cheerful get together in the club house and dancing in the hangars'*
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