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Aviation History
1952
1952 - 1436.PDF
622 FLIGHT "Flight" photographs Members of 40 Commonwealth and foreign air forces have been or are being trained at C.F.S. Among them (left) are PjO. Kyan Win (Burma), Lt. Enzo Cauda (Italy), andFO. Basil Leong (Malaya); they are congratulating F/L. Dolicher (second from left, and originally of the Polish Air Force), on winning the Clarkson Trophy for Harvard aerobatics. In the right-hand picture, FO. G. G. Farley receives from the Commandant, A. Cdre. Selway, the new Brabyn Trophy, now awarded to the best aerobatic pilot in each Meteor course. C.F.S. CELEBRATES . . . C.F.S. instructors' daily work, gives them an extra oppor tunity of maintaining the proficiency expected of so skilled a band of pilots. The instructor today must also be something of a psychologist, varying his approach according to the pupil's temperament, and no longer speaking in the stilted patter of the text-book. Such versatility was certainly apparent in our Harvard pilot, whose lunch-time task was to conduct the station brass band in a mellow selection well suited to the occasion. The afternoon was given to a brief inspection of the well- equipped ground facilities provided at C.F.S. : Link trainers; cutaway jet and piston engines, instruments and aircraft- systems; miniature wind-tunnel; models; survival equip ment; and, in the sick quarters, a decompression chamber. Here S/L. Sharer, the Station's senior medical officer, demonstrated effects of anoxia (deficiency of oxygen in the blood) up to an equivalent height of 27,000ft, at which his hands trembled, his face took on a reddish-blue tinge, and his speech became laboured. The primary purpose of the chamber, he said, is to test the effects of "bends" and decom pression-sickness on potential jet pilots at heights of up to 38,000ft. Results are correlated and forwarded to the Institute of Aviation Medicine at Farnborough. The ground exhibits at C.F.S., no less than the flying displays, all con vinced observers that this distinguished unit is as modern as the hour, tradition notwithstanding. That tradition is well denned in an Air Ministry Order as "a major factor influencing R.A.F. efficiency in peace and war" and the task of the C.F.S., its guardian, is "to train flying instructors who, by their skill, knowledge and enthusiasm will raise the flying efficiency of the Royal Air Force." Though originally formed to train all pilots, C.F.S. has taught instructors only for the past 32 years. But the pioneering spirit has remained constant. R. B. FROM ALL QUARTERS Statement on Air-Transport Policy? A HINT that the Government's general policy on civil aviation would be announced shortly was given in the House of Lords on May 13th by Lord Leathers, Co-ordinating Minister for Fuel and Transport. He had been asked by Lord Pakenham, the former Minister of Civil Aviation, whether the Government had given, or intended to give, any new directive to the Air Transport Advisory Council regarding the respective activities of the Air Corporations and the charter companies. Lord Leathers reminded the House that the Advisory Council considered applications from independent air companies to operate scheduled services as associates of the Corporations, and advised the Minister of Civil Aviation on the acceptance or otherwise of such applications. The Council discharged its duties, under a directive from the Minister. The directive at present in use was the one issued by Lord Pakenham when in office. The directive had, however, been modified in one respect— by Mr. J. S. Maclay when he was Minister of Civil Aviation : It had been decided that, for the time being, agreements coming up for renewal should not be accepted beyond March, 1953, nor should new agreements be granted extending beyond that date. This was a temporary measure while policy was under review. The directive to the Advisory Council was among the questions which the Government were examining as part of their review of policy. Lord Leathers added that, in respect of the Government's intentions, Lord Pakenham should "await the general statement on the future policy of the Government for civil aviation which will be made a little later." Lord Pakenham said that he and many of his colleagues were becoming extremely restive, and were beginning to feel that civil aviation was being treated as the "Cinderella" of the Departments. He could only hope the new Minister would prove to be the "Prince Charming" for whom a great many were looking. Straws in the Wind FORESHADOWING, perhaps, the expected outline of the new air-transport policy, by which independent firms may operate services alongside those of the Corporations' trunk routes, important news leaked out last week-end concerning a joint venture between two leading charter operators, Airwork, Ltd., and Hunting Air Travel, Ltd., whereby a Viking service may soon be operated between England and Nairobi. Both concerns, which have had extensive experience of flying along this route, have hitherto been regarded as keen rivals, so the new move is significant. A great deal of "information," much of which appeared to be purely speculative, appeared in various newspapers last week-end. We understand that the only firm news is that the service is "under consideration" : the two companies have expressed their wish and ability to run it, and, at the moment of writing, the proposal lies somewhere between the Air Transport Advisory Council (whose task it is to advise the Miniiter of Civil Aviation on such matters), the M.C.A., and B.O.A.C. The intention—an admirable one—is to provide a service com plementary to those already available, i.e., a low-fare, short-stage run, in reasonable comfort, alongside the high-speed Comet service to Africa and the normal B.O.A.C. Hermes services. A frequency once weekly in each direction has been mentioned, but we understand that no final decision has yet been made on this point; nor has the British terminal airport been named.
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