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Aviation History
1952
1952 - 1719.PDF
FLIGHT, 20 June 1952 747 A.S.T. COMES OF AGE . . . Armstrong Siddeley Development Co., but in the lean year of 1931 there were those who considered the venture over- ambitious. Firm promise of business was, however, offered by the school's Service connections, which were strengthened in June 1931 by the decision to send short-service officers to A.S.T. for instructors' licences; the civil side was also given a fillip by a new Air Ministry ruling that all flying-club instructors should be licensed. Yet another side to the school's business was started in September, when permission was given to carry out A.I.D. inspections. At this time seven courses were offered to pupils, as follows : ab initio Service course (12 weeks); commercial pilot's course (3 weeks); combined ab initio and blind-flying course (14 weeks); private pilot's course (3 weeks); seaplane course for Service or civilian pupils (3 weeks); instructor's course (8 weeks); and blind-flyfng course (2 weeks). The aircraft used were the Atlas trainer, Tutor, Siskin and Avian, the first three of these being standard Service types. In spite of the most unpropitious world economic situation, new Avro Avians were bought in the winter of 1931-2 and a complete fleet of Avro Cadets followed in June 1932. The first foreign officers to be A.S.T.-trained were two members of the Greek Navy who, it appears, did very well at blind flying. Wireless courses began in the summer of 1932, while firm R.A.F. contracts were received, one for comprehensive training on a four-year basis, and the other a seaplane contract. At this time, it was standard practice for airline pilots to hold engineer's licences; Imperial Airways began to send captains to Hamble to obtain such qualifications in 1932. By the spring of 1933, the old D.H.9JS and the Siskins were retired, the fleet then standing at 26, including a big Avro Five and two Cutty Sarks for marine work. Oxford University Air Squadron and No. 600 (B) Squadron, A.A.F., each visited Hamble with nine aircraft, the former in Tutors and the Auxiliary unit in their new Harts. In August 1933, over 1,000 hours were flown for the first time in one month. Permission to give armament, photographic and wireless training to foreign students was given by the Air Ministry in October, although—significantly—the Foreign Office vetoed the training of German military pilots, who were trying to obtain entry to Hamble in early 1934. In 1934, British airlines began to look for pilots—there being a shortage of suitable men for the first time—and A.S.T. provided several who met all the requirements admirably. It was in this year, incidentally, that the Hawker Siddeley group was formed, of which A.S.T. has been a member ever since. The school was by now on a completely secure basis, the depression that had overshadowed its early days having passed; growth continued and there were over 100 students in residence by September, 1934. During the year, the Avro Five—G-ABBY—was fitted for wireless and blind-flying training, in which roles it continued until 1940. Nineteen thirty-four ended with two Russian pilots and an engineer in residence for Autogiro instruction. On April 1st, 1935, the commercial "B" Licence syllabus was extended to include the new compulsory blind-flying certificate. A.S.T. were, with C.F.S.—then at Wittering—the pioneers of blind-flying instruction, both institutions having to start from (Above) VV/C. A. H. Abbott, as chief instructor, is responsible for the efficient operation of the four civilian schools and for the Service units at Hamble. (Above, right) W/C. R A. C. Stratton, A.F.C., is the busy C.F.I, at Hamble; he has been an instruc tor for 21 years. (Right) S/L C. N. Hoy, F.R.Met.S., chief navigation instructor. In keep ing with a long-established A.S.T. policy these three have all held important instructional posts in the Royal Air Force. scratch and formulate their own procedures and standards. Blind- landing aids were also pioneered at Hamble, the Adcock system having been installed and the more advanced Lorenz system studied. The beginning of the R.A.F. regular and reserve expansion scheme in 1935 implied the provision of new training schools and A.S.T. established one at Ansty, near Coventry—not very far from Whitley. This school opened on January 6th, 1936, and flew 6,906 hours in that year. Another long-term development of this period was the conversion of Imperial Airways pilots to flying-boat work, which—with the delivery of the 28 new Empire boats from Shorts—began to overshadow that operator's land- plane services. Calcuttas were used for this purpose at Hamble from 1935 until all the "Empire" crews had been passed out. In August, A.S.T. were asked to quote rates for training the R.A.F.V.R., which was then about to be formed. Civilian training was at its zenith at this time (164 students from 23 countries), since, for home students at least, the forthcoming V.R. units would offer training at no cost to the pupil, while foreign students began to fall off in numbers due to international tension and threats of war. War organization was, in fact, put into operation at A.S.T. in December, 1937; Hamble became No. 3 E. and R.F.T.S. (Elemen tary and Reserve Flying Training School) and Ansty became No. 9. When war did come, many foreign students found them selves unable to get home and unable to complete their training; a number of Indian students, however, did succeed in finishing their engineering course by December, 1939. All the direct-entry pilots and observers were posted away to other Service schools, their place being taken by 240 W. Op/A. G./trainees. All Reserve schools were mobilized on January 1st, 1940, Hamble becoming the home of No. 3 E.F.T.S., No. n A.O.N.S., and No. 1 Supplementary Wireless School. It was soon decided that the air observer school would have to move elsewhere Blind-flying training was stan dardized at Hamble over 20 years ago, on such aircraft as this Avro 621. A.S.T. aircraft are usually doped silver with a black fuselage; some all-silver aircraft are visible in the group (right) which was arranged for a "Flight" photographer in the spring of 1933.
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