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Aviation History
1948
1948 - 0048.PDF
FLIGHT January 8th, 1948 AIR WORK .... convenient 35 hours there and back, and since inspections follow a 35-hour cycle an inspection is completed on each return to Blackbushe. The Freighter was used as a pas- senger aircraft last year, but has now been converted for freight-carrying. Blackbushe is a convenient airport for the company, which is fortunate in being established in No. 1 hangar on the operational side of the road and not affected by regu- lations which are likely to prohibit the use of the other side. All passengers flying to and out of this country in Airwork Vikings pass through Blackbushe, where there are full Customs and passenger-handling facilities, and an airfield, fitted "with Fido, which has a good record for weather. Once again the policy of maintaining a high percentage of licensed engineers is evident, and in the charter division about 33 per cent of the total staff are fully qualified, a factor which must be contributory to the excellent maintenance and safety record. Glider Inspection At Langley the conversion, repair and maintenance of smaller types of aircraft is carried on. In the small hangars many R.A.F. Rapides have been converted for civil use; all the Denham Flying Club aircraft are serviced, and the Rapides used by the petroleum and oil companies, and Doves for the Sudan Government, go to Langley for major overhauls. The organization provides outside servicing primarily for private owner and charter operators, with additional special work such as the maintenance of the Sperry flying test aircraft and the development of a hydraulically operated power unit elevator control for the Brabazon I. The mock-up, which has been designed and constructed by Alan Muntz and Co., is fitted to a Lan- caster. Also at Langley all gliders used by the A.T.C. in the south of England, i.e., south of Hull, are inspected and repaired. Airwork are responsible for transporting the gliders from the gliding centre' to Langley, and for returning them. Each A.T.C. glider is given an inspection ••after a thousand launches, but repairs are invariably necessary before that. There were about 35 gliders at Langley, all being patched, rebuilt and inspected in the noticeably silent shops, silent owing to the absence of metallic noises. Judging by the extent of damage to some of them, gliders receive some rough use. After inspection, repair and reconstruction, they are assembled for flying-controls and rigging checks. After that they are dismantled and sent away. I have dealt with only a portion of the Airwork organiza- tion—that portion which from London is most conveniently examined and which is in fact most obvious. At Perth there is an organization similar to that at Langley for the repair and inspection of gliders, also a flying-training Running-up one of the Corporation's Dakotas outside the hangar at Gatwick. Airwork overflowed from Heiton Into Gatwick in 1938, in order to do Whitley repairs. (Above) : Mr. Claude f/usk, Airwork's chief test pilot Jas he climbs out of an Avro XIX after an air test is met by Mr. A. J. eurfoot, service manager, Gatwick. (Below): Mr. J. G. l&ngford and Mr. F. N. vrookes, works manager and superintendent respectively, at Langley. school and the Strathtay Aero Club. At Booker, Airwork also run a flying-training school. The company has never been tied to the sale of the products of any one manufacturer, but has remained free to offer advice to prospective purchasers on the type of aircraft required for specific purposes. The sales organiza- tion has consequently been responsible for exporting over- seas many post-war British aircraft. The charter sec- tion, in addition to many other commitments, flies a leave service for officials of the Sudan Government from Khar- toum to England. Another contract has been the flying of tourists during the summer months to Switzerland fof the Polytechnic Touring Association. " tj Mention must also be made of the Catering Section-^ which originated in the establishment of a passenget restaurant in the old days at Heston. During the war the feeding arrange- ments for the flying training schools at No. 11 E.F.T.S. at Perth, No. 21 E.F.T.S. at Booker, and No. 14 E.F.T.S. at Elmdon, were taken over by Airwork. Wherever a branch of Airwork is now active there is norm- ally also an industrial canteen and a restaurant, and at London Air- port the company is responsible for all catering. Airwork activities include, then, contract work for the Ministries, the Corporations, charter operators and private owners; contract flying for schools, clubs, airlines, and govern- ments ; and purchasing and selling aircraft. In addition, the firm owns and operates a fleet of 56 aircraft. It is, therefore, natural that such importance is attached to efficient maintenance.
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