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Aviation History
1952
1952 - 2042.PDF
106 FLIGHT CIVIL AVIATION THE DESERT LANDING THE following statement was issued by B.O.A.C. on July 19th. "The committee of inquiry appointed by the chairman of B.O.A.C. to investigate the circumstances of the landing off-course of Hermes G-ALDN near Aioun Legbar, in French West Africa, on May 26th, has completed its proceedings and reported, and as a result the services of the captain and the first officer concerned have been summarily terminated. "There were no fatal casualties among the passengers, but the Corporation regrets to report the subsequent death of First Officer E. M. Haslam, the second pilot of the aircraft, which occurred as a result of exposure to desert conditions. "The Corporation is considering suitable recognition of the exemplary conduct of the first steward, Mr. L. H. Smee, and the stewardess, Miss M. Osborn." It is not expected that the findings of the committee of inquiry will be published, but the dismissal of two members of the flight crew (and statements subsequently attributed to them) confirm the generally held belief that the accident was caused by an extreme error in navigation. Pending the results of official in vestigations, the commercial licences of the officers concerned, Capt. R. Langley, D.F.C., and ist/Off. T. de Nett, have been temporarily suspended by the M.C.A. MORE AUSTRALIAN TRAFFIC AUSTRALIAN airlines flew 14.5 per cent more passenger-miles on domestic services last year than in 1950; the number of passengers carried during the same period rose from 1,600,000 to 1,820,000, and the passenger load-factor increased from 62.7 per cent to 67 per cent. On international routes, the number of passengers carried last year by Australian operators was 45,833, compared with 32,077 in 1950. At the same time the passenger load-factor went up by 10.1 per cent to 66.5 per cent. AMERICAN CRYSTAL-GAZING IN a recent address, Mr. William Hogan, a vice-president of American Airlines, made some guarded observations on the future outlook both for his company and the airline industry in general. The outlook for traffic and revenue, said Mr. Hogan, was good—at least for the near-term future. Other points included in his remarks were as follows :— "The expense trend is upward, and, even though costs are more rigidly controlled, money for the increases must be covered by rate and fare adjustments. Most of the [U.S.] trunk lines are no longer in the subsidy class, but careful rate and fare administration will be required to keep them out of subsidy. The credit of the industry is not as good as we should like to see it, and we need at least five years of good earnings to firmly establish that credit.. . . Capital commitments by the [American] industry for new flight equipment total about $35om (£i25m) for delivery by 1954." Mr. Hogan believed that American introduction of regular turbojet and turboprop transports would not take place until the end of this decade, but it would bring a new surge of re-equipment orders, requiring perhaps another $3 50m. The growth of freight traffic, he said, would be relatively slow and tedious. "Flight" photograph HOLIDAY ATMOSPHERE : As reported on page 108, Jersey Airport held an air display last week to mark the opening of the new 1,400yd tarmac runway. The public enclosures were packed with over 20,000 visitors; here, in a quieter part of the airport, is a view of the B.E.A. Elizabethan which took part, and a distant glimpse of the aerobatic Aiglet demon strated by Ranald Porteous. NEWS FROM SOUTH AFRICA P IDIRECT financial aid for South African airlines, rather than a subsidy, is recommended in the report of the South African National Transport Commission. Customs duty on aviation fuel, states the report, should go into a national civil aviation fund. It also advocates the operation of additional services between the Union and Europe by South African companies, and recommends that emphasis should be placed on the encouragement of new routes to the Americas and to Australia. Other recommendations include improvement of communications and navigational aids, and the adoption of an "airways" type of traffic-control system. Good progress is reported with the construction, 12 miles from Johannesburg, of the new Jan Smuts Airport. Since May 1st, the 10,500ft by 200ft "Great Trek" runway has been used solely by B.O.A.C. Comets taking-off for London, but arriving Comets still land at Palmietfontein and are then ferried, minus passengers, to Jan Smuts. The airport is built on a large natural watershed, with few trees anywhere near. Four large hangars are already being roofed, of which the largest are twin buildings of 175ft by 125ft. Two subsidiary runways, each of 8,450ft, have been laid out at 60 deg to the main strip, and these are now in the process of "firming- up." All the international airlines now using Palmietfontein Airport are looking forward to the opening (possibly next January) of the Jan Smuts Airport, which will relieve the cramped condition under which they are at present operating. Normally the Palmiet fontein strip of 6,500ft would be adequate, but the altitude is combined with high temperature at certain times of the year, and the airfield becomes unsuitable. Qantas are particularly interested, in view of their plans to inaugurate a direct Johannesburg-Sydney BEALINERS: Among the several B.E.A. executives who attended the Jersey display were (left to right): Mr. Peter Masefield, chief executive; Capt. J. W. C. James, director of flight operations; Mr. J. M. Keene- Miller, Channel Islands manager; and Mr. A. H. Milward, controller of operations. "Flight" photograph
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