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Aviation History
1950
1950 - 0207.PDF
FLIGHT, 26 January 1950 CIVIL AVIATION NEWS ICE-APPROVED : As reported on this page, the Vjckers Viscount (the "700" production version of which has been ordered by B.E.A. and B.O.A.C.) has successfully concluded icing trials over the Atlantic. Delivery of the first "700s" to the Corporations is expected in 1952. The Instrument Rating ,-•-"... - AN official announcement which should- gratify the pilotsand companies affected concerns postponement of the date from which the holding of an Instrument Rating will be com-pulsory for all pilots flying in controlled areas in I.F,R. condi- tions. M.C.A. Information Circular No. 18, dated January18th, states that " a review of progress in the issue of Instrument Ratings has led to the conclusion that adherenceto the date April 1st might entail considerable curtailment in commercial air services. ... It has accordingly beendecided to amend the date specified in Rule 28 (2) of Schedule II of the Air Navigation Order, 1949, to October 1st, 1950.The period within which pilots' "B" licences may continue to be renewed will also be extended to October 1st. The introduction of the Instrument Rating will, however,result in the desired all-round improvement in safety only when a similar standard is enforced by all foreign operators. In an attempt to co-ordinate traffic control and navigationalfacilities, and with particular regard to the urgency of such a need in the European area, meetings of airline authorities, spon-sored by I.A.T.A. are now in progress. Airport Health Regulations "DASSENGER handling at many European airports will be -C facilitated by an agreement, concluded between the countries of Western union, to simplify air travel health con- trol. With effect from February ist, Belgium, Franee, Luxembourg, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom will become a single area and will be treated administratively within the Brussels Treaty powers as an " excepted area " in the matter of such control. Any aircraft starting its flight at any point within this area will not in normal circumstances be subject to health control on its arrival at any other point in the area. The "aircraft declaration of health" and "personal declarations of origin and health," both time-consuming factors in traffic handling, will thus he unnecessary for such flights. An aircraft entering the "excepted area" from outside will now be subjected to health control only at the first touching-down point. This greatly simplified procedure will not, it is thought, in any way impair the efficiency of the health-control system in general. Radio Industry's Views r : OPEAKING at the annual luncheon of the R-..dio Coramuni- *J cation and Electronic Engineering Association in London last Friday, Mr. F. S. Mockford, the chairman, expressed con- cern "at the absence of the British Commonwealth equivalent to the U.S. plan for a co-ordinated airways radio system. "During the enquiry into the serious air accident at Prest- wick," he said, " it was officially stated that recording devices, which would have considerably helped the work of the Court, were not in existence. This gave rise to totally erroneous statements about the necessity for spending dollars. If the Association had been approached, there can be no doubt that very real help in obtaining British equipment to the Ministry's requirements could have been given. "Since 1946, industry has been handicapped in the develop- ment of radio systems for the airwavs due, first, to the difii- curries in reconciling conflicting views on world reqununentsand, secondly, to the great expense involved in building up from its own resources a co-ordinated system for what, afterall, is a limited market. The Association has placed these considerations before theCivil Aviation Radio Advisory Committee with certain sug- gestions as to how the difficulties might be met. The case put forward by the Association has, so far,received favourable consideration and the discussions are still in progress. " During the year the air transport corporations have showna welcome interest in British manufactured air radio equip- ment and their new fleets will carry British equipment." Mr. Mockford added that there was no doubt that a con-siderable saving in dollar expenditure on radio could have been effected if British equipment had been ordered by B.O.A.C.for some of their American aircraft. Had the necessary stimu- lus been applied, as it was in the case of the Canadian aircraft,he had no doubt that the radio industry would have responded. The American plan to which Mr. Mockford reiers is presum-ably that contained in the report of the special Air Traffic Control Sub-Committee (S.C. 31) of the Radio Technical Com-mission on Aeronautics. The report recommends development and re-organization of traffic control and navigational systemsto the extent of $1,113,000,000. Adoption of a comparable plan by the British Commonwealth would, of course, have totake into account the fact that traffic densities on most British routes do not approach those of America's internal airways. AUSTRALIAN EXPERIMENT THE Australian Department of Civil Aviation has obtaineda cross-wind landing gear which will be fitted to a DC- 5 lor extensive experimental trials. Tests to determine itsefficiency are being carried out with a view to economy in the construction of airports throughout Australia The presentplan envisages the provision, in addition to the major air- ports at capital cities, of 70 country airports with two or threerunways each and ten further two-runway airfields in New Guinea Runways for inland towns are said to cost £8,000each, for New Guinea £120,000, for capital cities £200,000 and for international airports £500,000. These figures suggest thatif, as a result of the trials, cross-wind landing gears are adopted, very considerable economies will be possible.Single-runway airfields would reduce the amount of land required and thus enable the airports to be constructed con-siderably nearer centres of population. VISCOUNT DE-ICING TRIALS THE prototype Vickers Viscount recently completed a seriesof flight trials under severe icing conditions off the coast of Ireland. The tests, which took place at between 5,000 and10,000ft, were intended to prove that the aircraft's flying characteristics would be satisfactory in icing conditions, thatthe thermal de-icing system would remove accumulated ice and, furthermore, that the system would prevent ioe fromforming. The equipment employs a mixture of cold air from the scoops of the nacelles and gas from the exhaust of the Darts. During the three days on which the aircraft was flown fromShannon, a total of ten hours' riving over thf Atlantic was
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