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Aviation History
1948
1948 - 0806.PDF
^ Air Cruise . . . interest, and creates a strong im-pression of confidence. At Augusta the corporation in- tends to increase and improve the accommodation; in fact, a move to new buildings is contem- plated ; it is therefore pointless to criticise the present arrange- ments as inadequate and not up to the usual high standard. Similarly, a change is expected in arrangements for the stop in the Nile Delta. By August B.O.A;C. should be operating from Lake Mariut, Alexandria, where an alighting area, a slipway and pontoons, have been prepared. This base would have been used long before had not the retaining wall caused some trouble with excessive leakage. Construction is well on the way to being completed, however, and Alexandria will then be used by all 'fiyiLg-boat services. Hotel accommodation at the port is easier than at Cairo, and many travellers will welcome the change. On the southbound flight the night stop at Luxor, on the site of the ruins of the ancient city of Thebes,- will appeal to those who would not normally be afforded the opportunity of visiting the old temples of Luxor and Karnak. There has been some criticism that a night stop is not made at Khartoum, but accom- modation is extremely scanty in the city, and there is no indi- cation that it will improve. Although the corporation already operates landplanes into the airfield at Khartoum, an overlap of passenger and aircraft handling staffs would be impractical. From Luxor through Gordon's Tree Camp at Khartoum to refuel, and on to Port Bell, Lake Victoria, is the longest single day's flight, and it is a welcome change when about 2 hours from E.T.A. at Port Bell the characterless desert changes gradu- ally to scrub and eventually to rich red soil and beautiful green countryside. At Port Bell, so near the Equator, the climate is pleasant and the scenery almost English in character. The passenger-handling arrangements have been taken over by East African Airways, and a reception building and jetty have been built at the head of the lake. Some 5 miles along the road to Kampala, the nearest town, a rest camp has been erected and is rented by B.O.A.C. The accommodation is simple but artistic and refreshing. At 4,000ft actual, and 5,000ft density height, the longer take-off run from Lake Victoria is noticeable. The countryside immediately surrounding the alighting area'at Port Bell is dotted with hills which, although not high, make night operations hazardous. These, therefore, are not attempted. In the main, the European population is connected with the de- velopment of Uganda, and regular periods of leave, to the U.K.
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