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Aviation History
1950
1950 - 1228.PDF
772 FLIGHT, 29 June 1950 CIVIL AVIATION NEWS... Victor Tait, B.O.A.C.'s operations director, expressed hisapproval of the technical facilities and the standard of work- manship. * • *Referring to the possibility of helicopter services within the Isle of Man and from points on the mainland to Douglas andRamsey, Mr. T. C. Cowin, chairman of the Isle of Man Air- ports Board, said that the Board had recently taken up thequestion with B.E.A. and developments were being awaited. * * *The I.A.T.A. Clearing House in London reports an increase of more than two million dollars in traffic transactions during April as compared with the figure for the corresponding month of last year; the total turnover in April was $13,787,000. During the first four months of this year the Clearing House has handled $50,083,000 worth of transactions as compared with the $46,370,000 for the corresponding period of 1949. * * * To inaugurate an interline agreement between B.E.A. andLancashire Aircraft Corporation, Ltd. (by which passengers can now book direct from Newcastle, Leeds, Bradford, Man-chester and Blackpool to all parts of the Continent via Northolt), civic dignitaries from the cities concerned took partin a flight to Geneva on Tuesday, June 20th. On arrival, they were met at the airport by the British Air Attache andwere subsequently received by the Lord Mayor of Geneva. CLUB AND GLIDING NEWS MENTION has previously been made in these columns of thehigh degree of local interest in aviation which exists at Cheltenham and Gloucester. It now appears that this enthu- siasm has spurred on the clubs and commercial concerns using Staver^on airfield to co-operate in establishing what is to be known as the Gloucester Aviation Centre. The immediate intentions are to provide an aviation information bureau and some measure of comfort for visitors to Staverton. It is hoped eventually to arrange and maintain an airport terminal build- ing which will house a briefing room, radio room, meteorological office and other facilities essential to passenger handling. The Aviation Centre has two distinct types of membership —individual and commercial; benefits of the former include the right to flying-instruction facilities and the hire of aircraft for pleasure purposes, together with participation in the Centre's social activities. Commercial membership is available to clubs, firms and societies in the aeronautical field. The Centre itself is being sponsored and operated by Club Aviation (Chelten- ham), Ltd., who also operate Cheltenham Aero Club. • * * SOME knowledge of intruder tactics was apparently needed bypilots of aircraft taking part in the Blackpool and Fylde Aero Club "At Home," which was held at Squire's Gate on Saturday, June 10th. Only one aircraft, flown by Dr. Parry, of the Lancashire Aero Club, succeeded in penetrating the Blackpool defences, and his achievement was duly recognized by the presentation of a cup. Dr. Parry was also fortunate snough to win the trophy donated by the A.B.A.C. for the arrival com' petition. With warlike activities completed, the large party of visitors (who had arrived in Austgrs, Tigers, Geminis and even Ansons) were entertained to tea; this was followed by the presentation of awards, and, in the evening, by a dance organized for the benefit of those remaining overnight. * * * THE interest of the gliding fraternity is now being focussedon the forthcoming International Contests to be held at Orebro, Sweden, from July 3rd to 16th, and there is naturallysome speculation as to the possibilities of new records being established. A summary of the main classes of existing F.A.I,records reveals an unfortunate lack of British names—a situa- tion which, it is hoped, will be remedied before the contestsare concluded. F/L. Mallett has already reached Sweden, and the remainder of the British team (captained, as in 1948, byMrs. Ann Douglas) was due to leave Tilbury yesterday. FLERS RALLY THREAT BRITAIN was particularly well represented at the vJT third international rally organized by the Aero Club de Basse-Normandie " Henry Goussin," held at Flers de l'Orne on Saturday, June 17th. No fewer than 13 of the participating aircraft had crossed the Channel to take part in what has proved, since its inception in 1948, to be a very popular annual event. Among the British party was the veteran enthusiast, Dr.A. P. Thurston, M.B.E., D.Sc., M.I.Mech.E., F.R.Ae.S., F.C.I.P.A., who is a regular participant in this gathering.Most of the French entries came from neighbouring clubs in Normandy and the Paris area. A Norecrin again achieved the distinction of winning the Cham-ber of Commerce Cup; it was flown by M. Andre Rose, of Alencon, who gained 1,520 points. He was followed closely byM. Urbain Faure—a notable figure in French aviation circles —who was flying a Bucker and gained 1,504 points. He wasawarded the Ville de Flers Cup. Third and fourth places both went to British contestants, Mr. J. V. Heriz-Smith (Auster,1,500 points) and Mr. J. Houlder (Gemini, 1,424 points). SOUTH-COAST RACE DETAILS THE announcement of the new international handicap racewhich, as mentioned in Flight last week, is to be flown along the South Coast in the autumn, is already provoking considerable interest. Staged to celebrate the Battle of Britain, and sponsored by the Daily Express, the event will take place on September 16th. The R. Ae.C. has already issued the relevant regulations, which state that the race is open to any type of air- craft of any nationality, provided that its maximum speed at sea level is not less than 100 miles per hour. The course, to be flown at under 1,000ft, runs from Hum Airport (Bournemouth), eastwards along the coastline, round the North Foreland, and so to Herne Bay, in Thanet. As the aircraft will pass not more than 500 yds to seaward of the turning- points, many of which are the pierheads of holiday resorts, many thousands should have an excellent view from a 185-mile " grandstand." Competing aircraft will, as is usual in a race of this type, be handicapped according to estimated performance at full throttle. There is an entry fee of ^10, payable to the R.Ae.C. not later than August 19th. The attractive prizes (totalling ^2,350) are expected to tempt a large number of entrants. The sponsors are devoting all proceeds to the R.A.F. Benevolent Fund. BENELUX AIR TOURT HE second Benelux Air Tour, organized jointly by theRoyal Aero Clubs of Belgium and Holland and the Aero Club of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, took place fromJune 15th to 18th. The event was truly international in character, in that the total of 64 aircraft (containing 147 airtourists) included 23 from Holland, 18 from England, eight each from Belgium and Luxembourg, three each from Franceand Italy, and one from Switzerland. The English party in- cluded a cheerful contingent of 14 members of the NewcastleAero Club in six aircraft. Although the majority of the visit- ing aircraft were small single-engined types, there were severaltwins, including a smart Piaggio Amphibian flown by two Italian ladies—the Marchesa C. Negrone and Signore J. Novaro. On arrival at Hilversum for the start of the rally on June 15th,the guests were presented with gifts of cheese and miniature bottles of spirits, maps, and books of tickets covering all mealsand accommodation, and including a number of very popular spare tickets marked " aperitif " or " cafe ou biere." An official reception was held at the magnificent HilversumTown Hall by the Burgomaster and M. C. Kolff, President of the Royal Aero Club of Holland. The general theme of thespeeches was on the need for European unity, and the value of private aircraft in overcoming frontiers. Next morning, June 16th, the visitors flew to Beek airfield(near Maastricht) for an open-air lunch, and here they were received by the Governor of the Limburg Province. Afterlunch, the. party took-off for Sandweiler airfield (near Luxem- bourg). On this leg of the course the weather deteriorated;low cloud settled on the 2,000-lt peaks of the Ardennes country, and a thunderstorm greeted arrivals at the airfield. Some halfa dozen aircraft failed to get through and made precautionary landings elsewhere, but by the evening all were accounted for. At Sandweiler the party was received by M. J. Beck, Presi-dent of the Luxembourg Aero Club, with considerable cham- pagne hospitality. The next day the party flew in perfectweather to Grimbergen airfield (Brussels) for lunch, and a visit to the Brussels Exhibition. Here the members were receivedby M. Colpaert, Secretary-General of the Aeronautical Com- mittee, and later, at a banquet, by M. Pholien, President ofthe Royal Aero Club of Belgium. On Sunday morning, June 18th, the party was taken overthe historic 14th-century Brussels Town Hall and shown the famous tapestries and art treasures. Afterwards, a farewelllunch was held at La Maison des Ailes and a special bronze medal, which had been struck in honour of the occasion, waspresented to all the rally participants
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