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Aviation History
1947
1947 - 1937.PDF
November 6th, a Hytbe are the Johore Straits, between Singapore and the Stats of Jobore. TO THE EAST Airports and Alighting Bases on the Empire Routes to Singapore PICK at random any of the stopping placeson the Empire routes to the East. Con-sider its position and study its importance in relation to the main trunk route and to the surrounding country. Consider also the nature of its immediate surroundings and the extent of natural facilities available. Then it can be realized how each of these very important staging posts has its own peculiar problem. Many of the countries through which the Empire, routes pass are enterprising and have an interest in aviation; others, on the other hand, have no prospect of organizing their own airports, nor have they the facilities and money with which to compete with their more ad- vanced neighbours. The responsibility for providing amenities and facilities at airports and along the Empire routes must, therefore, fall upon the operating airlines, and, since the British Overseas Airways Corporation operates with aircraft having a shorter range than its American competitors, the intermediate stops are more frequent; moreover, the Corporation is looked upon to provide, in many cases, local one-stage hops of severalr hundred miles along the trunk routes. Natural alighting places for flying boats have been found and developed, but landplane airports are" a different problem and an expensive luxury to those countries with no aviation interests. It is consequently all the more surprising to find at many of the obscure airports modern, permanent buildings constructed to provide .airline pas- sengers with food and comforts during short halts ; officials for Customs and Immigration, in addition to traffic hand- ling facilities; and even transport to the nearest town, where overnight stops are involved. At Basra, for example, on one side of the elegant passenger-handling building is the landplane airfield; on the other side, the airport building overlooks the Shatt-el-Arab at the confluence Of the Rivers Tigris and Euphrates, where the flying boats alight. As a contrast, passenger reception is in marquees and other temporary structures, while at Calcutta the flying boat reception offices are on a house-boat on the Hoogli. The control of aircraft in the air and on the ground is another problem which must often be solved by the Cor- poration. Flight supervisors, who will fill posts at airfields in the U.K. and along the Empire routes, are being trained in all aspects of flying control, for commanders of aircraft must be kept fully informed of prevailing weather con- ditions and of any airfield diversions. For this purpose many ex-pilots of the Corporation and ex-flying control officers of the R.A.F. have been engaged, and for the con- trol of aircraft at airports, B.O.A.C. have undertaken to recruit and train controllers on behalf of the Ministry of Civil Aviation. The routes to the East are flown by the Corporation with Yorks to Karachi and Calcutta, and between Colombo and Singapore; with Hythe flying boats to Bahrein, Karachi and Singapore, and from there onwards to Sydney. Plymouth flying boats fly to Hong Kong and between Singapore and Hong Kong; Lancastrians fly right through to Sydney, and Haltons as far as Cairo.
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