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Aviation History
1948
1948 - 0487.PDF
APRH- 15TH, 1948 FLIGHT 407 CIVIL AVIATION NEWS TERMINAL BLOCK: Passenger handling has its problems even in Rhodesia, but this shelter at Kasana is apparently adequate for all * purposes. A Central African Airways' Viking is being off-loaded while friends watch from ths public enclosure. Corporations' Traffic Figures for 1947 : Cargo Lancastrians for South African Route : Bristol Aircraft Club Pilots' International Federation FROM April 5th until the 8th, pilots representing sixteencountries attended a conference at Londonderry House convened by the British Airline Pilots' Association. Theprimary reason for calling together the airline pilots of differ- ent nations was to consider the possibility of forming aninternational body which would be recognized in international aviation. Professional pilots have been of the opinion forsome time that legislation is being passed without consideration of their views. It must be to the credit of B.A.L.P.A. thatthe British Association originated the meeting. Pilots attending the conference included representatives fromArgentina, Australia, Belgium, Canada, Czechoslovakia, Den- mark, Eire, France, Holland, New Zealand, Norway, Rhodesia,South Africa, Switzerland, United Kingdom, and the United States of America. Some countries were represented by pilotsof their own associations; others by observers; and others by members of B.A.L.P.A. flying for foreign operators. TheAmerican organization A.L.P.A., which was probably the earliest to be founded and is now almost certainly the mosthighly organized, was represented by Mr. H. B. Cox, a veteran who was able to give valuable advice to those countries whickwereWarming associations. The British AJrline Pilots' Assdcia- , tion, which was founded in 1937 and now has * membershipof 1,300, was represented by Captains J. W. G^ James, M. L. H. Carter, R. C. Alabaster, and R. Allen. ' ^ The Minister of Civil Aviation, Lord Nathan, opened theconference at 11 a.m. on Monday, April 5th, and declared once again his safety maxim and suggested that perhaps too muchof a fetish had been made of speed. It would be necessary, he said also, to decide to what extent the authority of acaptain should be restricted, if at all. He wondered if, in view of air traffic control difficulties now and in the future,whether ground controllers should have mandatory powers to direct air traffic. He was referring to the question of F'ightdespatchers, in common use with some American companies. He urged also that the types of radio and navigation aidsshould be reduced in number, not only to avoid confusion, but to reduce the weight of equipment carried in aircraft. On the first day of the conference the International Federa-tion of Airline Pilots' Associations was formed, and an interim memorandum was signed by those representatives present.A further meeting will be held in Paris in September in order that draft rules and regulations might be approved, but inthe meantime Mr. D. Fellowes, secretary of B.A.L.P.A., will act as secretary of the Federation with headquarters in Lon-don. Captain J. W. G James introduced discussions on the organ- ization and development of pilots' associations, which was ofgreat interest to those representatives of new associations over- seas. Later Captain Richard Allen, from Montreal, introduceda discussion on the authority and prerogative of the pilot; and it was agreed by the conference that pilots should not besubject to interference from ground authorities. It was further resolved that the jurisdiction and command over the perform-ance and execution of all duties on board the aircraft should remain in the hands of the pilot in charge of the flight. Conditions of service covered by contract or agreement,pensions schemes, seniority, hours of work and minimum operating standards were discussed later in the week. Thequestion of weather minima received much attention and the conference finally decided that the State in which the airfieldswere situated should be responsible for determining weather minima for each aid in conjunction with other interestedparties, including the pilots' associations, and that those minima should apply to all operators. It was considered thatthe minima should be related to the most efficient use which Representing the U.K. at the International Pilots' Conference in London. (Left to right) Captain M. L. H. Carter, Captain ]. W. G. James, O.B.E., Mr. W. D. Perkins, Mr. D. Follows, and Captain R. Allen.
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