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Aviation History
1952
1952 - 0185.PDF
18 January 1952 83 CIVIL AVIATION . . . transport popularity is also attributed to another factor: while the general cost of living reflected very marked increases, the cost of air travel showed no rise whatsoever during 1951, and has in fact been stabilized at a level not much higher, when compared with other commodity increases, than that at which it stood in 1939. What is considered a particularly significant development was the unprecedented strength of passenger traffic during the winter months. The increase was achieved with little change in T.C.A.'s route-pattern; the only inaugural service of the year in fact, was the extension of the Montreal-London route to Paris. During the summer the highest frequency of flights in T.C.A.'s history was scheduled. On trans-continental and inter-city routes, 500 additional seats daily were made available, an increase of 10 per cent over the peak scheduling of the year before. Winter programmes which became effective on November 1st called for a 20 per cent increase in hours flown over the previous winter and, in fact, involved almost as much flying as during the summer. On all services, approximately 14 per cent more capacity-ton-miles were placed at the disposal of the public than was the case in 1950. No expansion of the existing fleet of 20 North Stars and 27 DC-3S was made, although at the height of the summer the North Stars were operated at a utilization rate in excess of 9 J hours a day, a figure which has not been exceeded by any other carrier with so diversified a route-pattern. The fleet as a whole flew more than 24 million revenue-miles, an increase of 11 per cent over 1950. The outlook for continuing traffic growth, however, has per suaded T.C.A. to sign a contract for five Super Constellations, to be delivered in 1953. They will be used on overseas services. The Super Constellations were selected after a study had been made of current design-trends and the company is of the opinion that they will be capable of meeting all competition on the Atlantic route during the next few years. To meet immediate requirements for expanded fleet-capacity, the company has three more North Stars ordered. BRISTOL 170s FOR AER LINGUS THE Irish airline, Aer Lingus, has announced an order for two Bristol 170 aircraft to augment its existing capacity for both passenger and cargo traffic. A third machine may be ordered at a later date. These Mk3iEs will embody a number of special features and will have an internal arrangement which will permit quick conversion for either passenger or freight duties. Passenger versions will have 40-46 seats and one of the high-density duties envisaged for them will be the carriage of pilgrims to Lourdes. Among the special features is a movable bulkhead which can be placed far enough aft to permit the carriage of mixed loads such as two cars and a number of passengers. The ambul ance version will accom modate 21 stretcher cases. Later the Bristol Aeroplane Company will also design special fittings to form four separate horse - stalls. TWENTY-FIVE YEARS of spectacular progress have elapsed since these eight employees of B.O.A.C. played their part in the beginning of the first British scheduled air route to be flown outside Europe. To mark the occasion a small reunion party was held at London Airport so that those whose duties had not yet brought them into contact with it might acquaint themselves with a new factor in British air trans port history—namely, the introduction of the D.H. Comet. Two members of the party, now on ground duties, actually flew as aircrew members on the inaugural D.H.66 service between Cairo and Basra. IjC. FERRY: Capt. Louis B, Elwin, A.F.C., has been appointed by Silver City Airways, Ltd., to manage their cross-channel vehicle ferry and freight services between Lympne and Le Touquet. Capt. Elwin was at one time C.F.I, of the Empire Central Flying School and has subsequently served as general manager of Cambrian Airways. Last year Aer Lingus Dakotas carried 270,000 passengers, a 21 per cent increase on the total for the previous year. In addition to the Bristol 170s on order, the Company is also to receive Viscounts. FAST PHOTOGRAPHY COMPLETION of the first stage of an aerial survey of Mauritius is announced by the Aircraft Operating Co. of Africa, Ltd., a South African associate of the Hunting Group. The work is part of a contract recently awarded to that company by the Government of Mauritius. A vital factor in all aerial photography is the weather, and in this instance it was of the utmost importance, as conditions over an island far out in the Indian ocean seldom permit an unobscured view of the landfall. Fortunately, favourable weather was reported at the time when the contract was actually being signed, and to take advantage of it an expedition was mobilized and got away in the short space of two days. As a result, the photographic work has been completed in one month, and the aircraft employed— a specially equipped Dakota—is now back at its home base at Rand Airport, Johannesburg. Much of the future economic and engineering development of the island will be governed by the result of the aerial survey, as the flying stage of the contract will be closely followed by the compila tion of aerial photographic mosaics and photogrammetric line- maps of specially selected areas. BRETAGNES ORDERED A CONTRACT has been signed between the French manu facturers S.N.C.A.S.O. and the Societe de Transport Aerien d'ExtrSme Orient under which four SO.30P Bretagnes (powered by two Pratt and Whitney B-43S) will be delivered in the course of the year to this newly formed airline. The first two aircraft will be ready by the middle of the year and the remaining two should be available in the autumn. They will be used on overseas trunk routes of the French Union. Six machines of this type have already been ordered by Air Algerie, and a further six by Air Maroc. An additional S.O.30P is also being converted for the personal use of the President of the French Republic. MELBOURNE'S I.L.S. Y installing a modified intrument landing system which, in fact, consists simply of a localizer, the Australian Depart ment of Civil Aviation is hoping to reduce the number of fog and bad-weather diversions at Essendon Airport, Melbourne, by 85 per cent. A.N.A. is the first airline to complete a period of crew familiarization with this system. The Melbourne localizer is a small radio-aid located at the end of the runway to assist traffic direction in conditions of low visibility. It incorporates a "marked" approach beam capable of giving accurate position indications to the pilot. The presentation in the cockpit is by a highly sensitive left-right indicator. The marker beacon presentation is both visual and oral and the receipt of a marker signal is used as an indication of when to lose altitude to the next stage of the approach. During the training period, A.N.A.'s DC-4 pilots have made many straight-in approaches from nine miles out right down to the threshold of the runway, solely on instruments. B
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