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Aviation History
1952
1952 - 1668.PDF
726 CIVIL AVIATION FLIGHT concerned for a heavy subsidy and impose a steep increase in existing fares, whereas C.A.A. had successfully resisted increases for several years while during the same period practically all other airlines had made increases. Although reluctant to say more about the proposed C.A.A. service to London, Mr. McCoy hinted that a Viking might be used in the development phase and that it was C.A.A.'s ambition that the one-way fare to London from Central Africa should not exceed £100. When C.A.A.'s plans became known in Johannesburg, pros pective passengers immediately took the line that it would be cheaper by far for them to fly to Salisbury by either C.A.A. or S.A.A. in order to join the London service there. As the effect of the loss of such traffic could be serious for the partners in the Springbok service, it might be necessary to find a means whereby only bona fide Central African residents, or returning visitors to those territories, would be allowed to book on direct C.A.A. services to London. There is no confirmation of persistent rumours that C.A.A. intends to lease Hermes aircraft from B.O.A.C. for t^e Salisbury/ London service. SYCAMORE'S SUCCESSFUL TOUR 'THE Bristol 171 Sycamore helicopter which left Filton on May -*- nth for a 1,500-mile sales tour returned on May 30th in the hold of a Silver City Freighter. The flight (from Stockholm) was the third occasion on which this type of helicopter has been carried by a Freighter; a Sycamore was taken to Khartoum by Freighter for tropical trials last year, and another was delivered to the R.A.A.F. in Australia by the same method. During the tour the 171 kept closely to its scheduled programme, giving flight demonstrations in Brussels, the Hague, Hamburg, Copenhagen, Oslo and Stockholm. Greetings from the Lord Mayor of Bristol were delivered to civic officials in each city. All the demonstrations excited keen local interest—particularly in Belgium, where the helicopter undertook 4J hours' intensive flying on mail services between principal cities and towns. Mr. C. T. D. Hosegood, pilot throughout the tour, was accompanied by Mr. A. G. L. Langfield, technical sales representative, and flight engineer Mr. R. Francombe. The sales manager of Bristol's aircraft division, Mr. W. R. Fames, followed the Sycamore's route by airline and road. NEW K.L.M. HANGAR ^VNE of the largest hangars in Europe, capable of accommodat- ^-' ing six four-engined aircraft, was officially opened at Schiphol on May 29th. The building, which is flanked by modern office premises with a canteen above them, was handed over to K.L.M. by the city of Amsterdam and formally named "Kingsford-Smth Hangar" by the Australian Ambassador to the Netherlands. The interior of the hangar measures 540ft by 130ft and the height of the entrance and the width of the doorways are respectively 40ft and 250ft. FUEL RESTRICTIONS LIFTED WITH the virtual end of the strike at oil refineries in the United States, all restrictions on the supply of aviation fuel to operators of civil aircraft in the U.K. ceased to apply on Sunday last, June 8th. Most operators were able to announce practically immediate resumption of full schedules. Of the two British Corporations, the more severe losses were suffered by B.E.A., whose services were reduced by about 50 per cent. Reductions in B.O.A.C. schedules were computed to average 39 per cent. The financial effects of the fuel shortage have not yet been assessed. WEATHER-SHIP AGREEMENT AT Montreal, on May 29th, delegates of eight member-nations of I.C.A.O. agreed to extend for one year the agreement by which 25 ships are maintained in the North Atlantic on weather- patrol duty. The ships provide navigational assistance to trans atlantic aircraft and, if necessary, search-and-rescue facilities. The arrangement is running so efficiently that Dr. Edward Warner, president of the I.C.A.O. council, was able to announce that the agreement need not be revised until next year. Sir Frederick Tymms, U.K. representative in I.C.A.O., signed the protocol of extension on behalf of Britain. Three other participating nations are expected to sign next week. NEW CONVAIRS FOR U.A.L. THE first of forty Convair 340s ordered bv United Air Lines was formally handed over at Lindbergh Field, San Diego, on May 24th. Taking delivery, Mr. W. A. Patterson, the president of United, said that it was the first time in his 20 years' experience of "Flight" photograph DEMONSTRATOR: A loud-hailer beneath the fuselage was part of the equipment carried by this Bristol 171 Sycamore during its recent 1,500- mile tour. Details of its journey are given in the adjacent paragraph. air transport that he had seen a new type of commercial aircraft delivered on schedule. The 44-seat, 270-m.p.h. Convair 340s are referred to as "Mainliners" by U.A.L., who expect to order an extra ten aircraft; the value of the United contract for 340s will then reach some £10,400,000. BREVITIES THE B.O.A.C. operational crew members (excluding stewards and stewardesses) who fly Stratocruisers and Constellations between London, Montreal and New York, have each made, on average, 140 crossings of the North Atlantic. Highest-scoring pilot—with 373 crossings—is Capt. L. V. ("Buddy") Messenger, and the record for any B.O.A.C. crew-member is held by Eng/Off. E. D. Gilbertson, who has made 381. Examinations for radio maintenance engineers, and corrections to aeronautical charts, are the subjects of new M.C.A. Information Circulars—Nos. 49, 50 and 51. Doman Helicopters, Inc., are now offering a commercial ver sion of their YH-31 military helicopter; with seating for seven, the civil model is one of the largest helicopters available under C.A.A. certification. * * * The appointment is announced by T.C.A. of Mr. C. S. Hewett as operations manager of the company's Atlantic region. Formerly a radio operator on Cunard ocean liners, Mr. Hewett joined T.C.A. in 1938; he now succeeds Mr. F. M. McGregor, who has resigned. * * * Mr. B. G. Porter, administrative director of B.O.A.C., spoke on air travel at the recent annual conference of the Chartered Institute of Secretaries. He quoted some impressive statistics illustrating the growth of air travel, reminding delegates that the number of air passengers throughout the world had increased from i.\ million in 1937 to over 39 million last year. B.E.A. are studying methods of increasing turn-round speed by more precise and synchronized execution, of individual ground operations. The first experiments have been carried out at Ringway, where the average time of a transit stop, formerly 20 minutes, has been reduced by at least half. New appointments made at the sixth session of the Assembly of I.C.A.O. on June 3rd include those of Mr. J. P. Barringer as president and of Col. B. M. Amarante (Brazil), A. Kofoed-Hansen (Iceland), Dr. R. Sugoto (Indonesia) and Herr Bisang (Switzer land) as vice-presidents. Mr. Lewis Lang of South Africa was chosen as the chairman of the administrative commission. The new president, wHo'se term will continue during the current session at I.C.A.O. headquarters in Montreal, is director of the Office of Transport and Communications Policy of the American State Department. * * * For the third successive year, the efforts of B.E.A.'s sales branch have secured an award presented by the British Direct Mail Advertising Association on the basis of annual competition. This year the prize was awarded for the best "single-shot" letter of the year—one written in ten languages and directed to phil atelists in countries served by B.E.A. under covers bearing Festival of Britain stamps.
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