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Aviation History
1951
1951 - 2329.PDF
FLIGHT AT AFRICA'S A] Scenes at the Official Opening of En IAST week we briefly reported the ceremonial opening ofEntebbe Airport, Uganda, upon completion of its five-year,•^ JC35O>OOO reconstruction scheme. We are now able to give these pictorial impressions, together with further notes on the ceremony, supplied by the Editor, who was present. The event was favoured by the weather: for several days unexpected and seasonally late rain had been falling, but on the important day (November ioth) conditions were warm and pleasant, with clear skies revealed above great storm-clouds piled in the north and west. In his speech declaring the airport open, Mr. H. S. Potter, AiG., Acting Governor of the protectorate, recalled the early associations of the site, which was first used as an airfield in ember, 1928, when Capt. R. R. Bentley landed there [in a rrus Moth] with the then Governor, Sir William Gowers, whom he had flown over from Jinja. In the same year Sir Alan Cobham put down his flying-boat [the Short Singapore used on the famous African survey flight] on the adjacent Lake Victoria, and in 1929 the 800 yd by 50 yd strip was in a fit condition to receive the aircraft of the R.A.F. Cairo-Cape flight. The second phase of development, continued Mr. Potter, came with the development of commercial flying, when Entebbe began to be used by Imperial Airways in January 1932 for their Cape-to-Cairo mail services; at this time radio was installed. By 1935 a murram surface had replaced the runway grass, and some rather primitive passenger accommodation had been provided. Considerable extensions were planned, but for various reasons little was done until after the war. In 1944-45 tne main runway was bitumenized and extended to 1,600 yd. In planning the ultimate phase of development they had been fortunate in receiving a visit from Sir Frank Whittle, who gave advice on the requirements of jet aircraft; his suggestions had been incorporated in the plans. Mr. Potter then enumerated the principal features of the scheme, now completed—the extension of No. 2 runway to 3,300 yd, with 2 bitumen surface 200ft wide and margins bringing the total width to 700ft; improved night landing and take-off (1) The smart Uganda Police guard of honour at the opening ceremony. In the background are the B.E.A. Viscount and B.O.A.C. Hermes. (2) The Crewsair Viking, in which a party of visitors flew from England to attend the ceremony. (3) The central frontage of the terminal building, gay with flap and crowded balconies. (4) Coolness, comfort and perfect taste in interior decoration—the airport lounge and bar. (5) The Acting Governor, Mr. H. S. Potter, makes his speech declaring the airport open. The seated officer is A. Cdre L T. Pankhurst, A.O.C. East Africa; next to him is Sir Reginald Robbins, Commis- sioner of Transport; A.V-M. Sir Victor Tait, B.O.A.C.'s Operations Director, is behind the speaker.
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