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Aviation History
1951
1951 - 1358.PDF
and AIRCRAFT ENGINEER First Aeronautical Weekly in the World Founded 1909 No. 2217 Vol. LX. FRIDAY, 20 JULY 1951 ED/TOR MAURICE A. SMITH, D.F.C. ASSISTANT EDITOR H. F. KING, M.B.E. TECHNICAL EDITOR C. B. BAILEY-WATSON, B.A. ART ED/TOR JOHN YOXALL Editorial, Advertising and Publishing Offices: DORSET HOUSE, STAMFORD STREET, LONDON, S.E.1. Telegrams, Flightpres. Sedist, London. Telephone. Waterloo 3333 (60 lines). Branch Offices: COVENTRY 8-10, Corporation Street. Telegrams, Autocar, Coventry. Telephone, Coventry 5210. BIRMINGHAM. 2 King Edward House, New Street. Telegrams, Autopress, Birmingham. Telephone, Midland 7191 (7 fines). MANCHESTER, 3 260, Deansgate. Telegram*, Iliffe, Manchester. Telephone, Blockfriars 4412 (3 lines). Dearagate 3S95 (2 lines). GLASGOW, C.2. 26b, Renfield Street. Telegrams, Iliffe, Glasgow. Telephone, Central 1265 (2 lines). SUBSCRIPTION RATES Home and Overseas: Twelve months £3 3s. Od. U.S.A. and Canada, $10.00 BY AIR: To Canada and U.S.A., six months, $16. IN THIS ISSUE: Bristol Air Day - - - 58 The Old Hands Pay Tribute 63 The Story of the Royal Aero Club - - - • 68 Fifty Years of Flying - - 71 Professional Joy-rider - 90 In the Days of the. Balloon 94 History in London N.W.9.T HE London Aerodrome, Hendon, was not, it is true, the birthplace of flight in Britain; but it was cradle, nursery and playground. From this green field, at the end of Colindale Avenue, our pilots gingerly tried their new "buses" (as they delighted to call them) until they had gained sufficient confidence to vie in sport with sturdy rivals from abroad. At length, with native vision, they began to exploit their new-won skill in the opposing causes of commerce and war, and Hendon flourished; but the time inevitably came when aircraft had so far outstripped those of the brave old days that the little field—now hedged about by residential areas—had perforce to be humbled to the status of a mere communications centre. Never again, it seemed, would the citizens of London throng its verges and swarm on nearby Mill Hill to marvel at the evolutions of the great ones or thrill to the incomparable spectacle of the R.A.F. Display. The London Aerodrome, they said, was a has-been. But there were resolute people who knew that Hendon, and only Hendon, must be the scene of a great festive gathering to mark the Golden Jubilee of the Royal Aero Club and a half-century of flying in Britain. There was no reason, they argued, for the very fast machines to land on the field itself, for these could operate, at little disadvantage, from their own bases, and static examples could, where necessary, be brought in by road. As for convenience, Hendon was far more accessible to Londoners than any possible alternative. And then, of course, there was the sentiment of the thing—for in its own way Hendon is as much a part of our heritage as Ranelagh, Wimbledon or Lord's. So the resources of a national newspaper—the Daily Express—allied with the wisdom and experience of the Royal Aero Club, and with the co-operation of the fighting Services, overcame all difficulties, the happy result being that on three successive days, July 19th, 20th and 21st, the crowds will once again be flocking to Hendon to see the flying; and not only the flying, but also a static collection of aircraft old and new, calculated to make an enthusiast's mouth water. If ever there was an occasion to delight old-timers and youngsters alike, this promises to be it, and a hundred-odd foreign participants in the International Air Rally, for whom a special excursion has been arranged, will see for themselves that, whatever may be responsible for Britain's lack of up-to-date light aircraft (for many of our privately owned machines to-day are near-antiques in themselves), it is not poverty of design talent. Moreover, they are flown in the same spirit of sportsmanship and camaraderie, and under the same vigilant protection of the Royal Aero Club, as were their forebears. Likely to MisleadI T is feared that an inaccurate impression of B.E.A.'s manner of operation may have been gained by many who have read the digests in the popular Press of the Mill Hill Dakota accident report (see page 83). The little knowledge required to single out certain points without fully understanding them was a dangerous thing. The accident report is not confined too closely to the disaster which befell G-AJIW on October 17th, but contains also some observations on the methods employed for cleaning sparking plugs, the sort of approach aid which a pilot should select, and the much-discussed topic of rearward-facing seats. Let it be said at once that in spite of possible assumptions to the contrary, B.E.A.'s standards of safety, maintenance and training are unsurpassed by any airline in the world. The sparking plug question is one on which the A.R.B. might comment, for B.E.A.'s sand-blast cleaning methods are approved by this Board, as well as being widely employed in other countries. The facts that the first officer (the captain was in the right-hand seat) while experi- enced and well qualified, was nevertheless known to be in need of more practice in procedures, and that he had failed to renew his licence (expired by five days), are most embarrassing revelations and, although essentially administrative discrepancies, are matters about which the Corporation will need no reminder to take action.
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