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Aviation History
1949
1949 - 1885.PDF
FL1OHJ, 17 November 1949 •651 CIVIL AVIATION NEWS BACK TO ERIN : An Aer Lingus DC-3 is depicted on home territory before the imposing terminal building at Dublin Airport , N „.-, . . Extensive use of the airport is also made by aircraft of K.L.M. and Sabena. GERMAN AVIATION has been expressed by American authorities atv^ the possibility of the rebirth of a new Luftwaffe which might result from permitting the reconstruction of civil airtransport facilities by Germany. In answer to a recent proposal by the West German Minister of Transport, a spokesman of theU.S. High Commission in Germany said that his country would not consent to the reconstruction of German civil aviation in theforeseeable future, and that the question of allowing Germany to build civil aircraft for export could not be discussed. Meanwhile, the British Government has announced that, as ameasure of economy, more than half of the British personnel employed on civil airfields in the British Zone will be replacedby Germans in the coming months. Lord Vansittart, in the House of Lords last week, also expressed concern at this develop-ment in view of information which he said he had received indicating that Germans would be employed on runway control,briefing and security duties. He suggested that, in view of past experience, the British Government should maintain a con-stant watch on such developments. "INTRUDER" PROBLEMS RECENT developments in America have focused attentionon the difficulties which have been added to the control of air traffic by the presence of high-speed military aircraftin the air lanes. As a result of discussions on air safety between the Civil Aeronautics Authority and Service officialsit has been announced that the civil administration has taken over control of all military aircraft flying on civil airwaysin all weather conditions. This decision was probably precipi- tated by the fact that on November 8th the pilot of an EasternAir Lines' Constellation reported that he had almost collided with a Mitchell while flying in I.F.R. conditions over Washing-ton National Airport. Hitherto, military aircraft have been able to fly along civil air lanes in clear weather without theknowledge or approval of the civil traffic authorities, although coming under their jurisdiction when ceilings were low or visi-bility poor. It is reported, incidentally, that in the past 14 months all passenger fatalities on American domestic airlineshave been the result of aerial collision. Additionally, major-airport authorities in all parts of theU.S.A. have begun to re-examine their individual traffic prob- lems in the light of the recent mid-air collision over WashingtonNational Airport, when 55 lives were lost (Flight, November 10th). The problem is largely the result of the mixed operationof military, civil and private aircraft at the same airport, with the resultant wide variations in methods of approach, landing B 19 speeds and the ability of pilots in handling their aircraft ontake-offs and landings. Officials at most large airports are reported to be deeply concerned, and consider that a thoroughstudy of the "mixed-traffic" problem should be made imme- diately. The New York Times states that Cleveland and Phila-delphia have asked for the removal of military aircraft from their airports, and that authorities at Indianapolis are consider-ing closing the airport to private and military traffic. Although in this country the problem is not manifest to suchan extent, it does nevertheless exist. The views of British com- mercial pilots, as expressed by B.A.L.P.A., are that the presentdegree of control over military aircraft flying through civil air lanes, as provided by the M.C.A. Airways Plan, is inadequate,and they consider that no approach to the problem will be really satisfactory until the airways are free from uncontrolled intru-sion by military—particularly jet-propelled—aircraft. Without attempting to relate directly the problems in the twocountries, it can be said that the question is one of international implication, and it would seem that present-day i~tensity ofoperation and increases in aircraft speeds call for a complete revision of the present systems of traffic control which permitthe proximity of Service and civil aircraft—^each flying under the direction of an independent controller—in the vicinity of civilairports and air lanes. . . • . . . " B.O.A.C. STRATOCRUISING FIRST of the ten Boeing Stratocruisers to be used byB.O.A.C. will be put into operation on the London-New York service via Prestwick on Tuesday, December 6th. Sub-sequently there will be one such return service a week between the two cities, supplementing the existing Constellation ser-vices. The Stratocruisers are scheduled to leave London Air- port at 2000 hr on Tuesdays, and will reach New York at 1045hr local time (3.45 p.m. G M.T.) the next day, an elapsed time of just under 20 hours being required for the flight. Thereturn service, leaving New York on Saturdays, will be made in an overall time of 15^ hours. Frequencies will be progressively increased, and presentplans are said to be for thrice-weekly services in January*', in- creasing to five times weekly in February, and becoming dailyservices in March. The Constellations now used on the daily service between New York and Bermuda are due to be replacedby the 60-ton Stratocruisers in February, and the aircraft re- leased from the New York-London and Bermuda routes willbe used to increase frequencies progressively between London and Montreal until daily services are achieved—probably inApril, 1950. To perpetuate the memory of the Short C-class flying-boat
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