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Aviation History
1952
1952 - 2219.PDF
FLIGHT, 15 August 1952 OVER THE TOP . . . is too bad for the operation of DC-3S—a frequent occurrence, Nome weather being among the worst in the world, with recurrent fog, blizzard and icing conditions. Wiens also operate a bush service to Point Barrow, from Fairbanks, and to the Eskimo settlement deep in mountain country about one hundred miles south of Point Barrow. It also serves a score or more of trapper settlements, meteoro logical and military stations which would take months to reach by dog team or canoe. Perhaps only one company in the American North has as wide experience in arctic aviation as Wien Alaska, both in the matter of maintenance and the actual flying of scheduled services. This is Associated Airways, who operate from the Canadian gold-mining town of Yellowknife to the fur- trading and mining settlements of the N.W. Territories. Wiens refuse information on the Arctic plan placed before the Civil Aviation Board, but it is stated to be ready to go into operation immediately C.A.B. gives approval. Though C.A.B. approval of the polar-route project has not been given— or had not when this article was printed—a Wien DC-3 bears this anticipatory name. The proposal is to operate the route with DC-4s. 185 AFRICAN AIRLIFT —to Move 15,000 Natives a Year to Rand Gold Mines AS yet unknown to the general public, one of the most remarkable and significant developments in Southern L African aviation is now being sponsored by the Transvaal Chamber of Mines through its Witwatersrand Native Labour Association, which has given a contract to a charter company, Africair, Ltd., to move 15,000 natives a a year by air over a portion of the long routes taken in their travel to and from the Rand gold mines. The basic value of the scheme is that it will effect a quicker turn-round of the labour supply. The scheme has come into being because of die increasing shortage of native labour, which has forced the mining industry to recruit in territories far beyond the borders of the Union of South Africa. For the operation of this air lift the charter company has estab lished a completely self-contained base at Francistown, in Bechuanaland. Using three 28-seater Dakotas, it is making one return flight a day from Monday to Thursday between Francis- town and Lilongwe, in Nyasaland, and one a day on Fridays and Saturdays between Francistown and Mohembo, in Northern Bechuanaland. The air distance from Lilongwe to Francistown is 638 miles. The flight takes about four hours, as compared with a week previously spent on surface travel between the two points. From Mehembo to Francistown the W.N.L.A. operates a lorry service which takes upwards of five days. This distance of 430 miles is now covered by air in about two and a half hours. It is estimated that, spread over twelve months, about 10,000 Africans, who come mostly from Tanganyika and Portuguese Mozambique and make their way voluntarily to the W.N.L.A. depots in Nyasaland, will be flown between Lilongwe and Francistown. On the other branch of the airlift, from Mohembo, it is expected that about 5,000 yearly will make the flight. They are mainly Angolas, but will in clude a number of Northern Bechuanas. Between Francistown and Johannesburg the journey is made in both directions by rail. The whole scheme is subsidised by the Chamber of Mines, so that the natives are flown at no cost to themselves, but the mining industry believes that it will be proved worthwhile in the saving of man hours. The initial flights were made at the end of June, but the scheme is still regarded as being in die experimental stage. If successful, and because of the probable necessity of the industry having to go even farther afield for its labour, the scope of the air lift is likely to be expanded. In the present early stage of the operation the full benetit ot the quicker transport of natives cannot accrue because ofthe delay caused by the yellow-fever immunisation period. The W.N.L.A., however, has made arrangements for repatriates who are to be flown back to be inoculated in Johannesburg before they leave. Under the recruitment system natives enter into contracts to worK on the mines for a specified time, at the end of which period they like to return to their home territories for a fairly long stay. There is always uncertainty as to how long they wi 1 stay at home, but it is thought that, if they follow their normal practice, the gold mines will lose appreciably fewer man hours in travel. Against this saving must be placed the cost of the air transport. Under the contract for work on the mines the Chamber of Mines has always paid the whole cost of bringing natives to the Rand, but the native pays for the return journey, this outlay being provided by advance deductions from his wages. With the inauguration of the airlift the repatriate will not have to pay for the flight from Francistown to Lilongwe or Mohembo. As yet no decision has been made about future financial policy in respect of the air trip, and no costs are so far known, but it is of interest that in a pilot scheme over a lesser distance carried out last year the operating cost worked out at 2d per mile per native. During the pilot scheme, when natives were flown from Lil ongwe to Lusaka in Northern Rhodesia, where they entrained, special attention was paid to their reaction to flying. It was found to be entirely favourable and there were only four known cases of air sickness. In order to establish a base at Francistown, Afri'*air. Ltd., had first to extend the runway from 1,650 yards to 2,700 yards, and the tiny strip in the bush at Mohembo had to be lengthened to 2,200 yards. The company had also to erect a hangar, install generating plant, organize fuel stocks, provide ground radio facilities, and build a mess for the unmarried members of its staff. Its three Dakotas were fitted with very simple seating and stripped of quite a lot of equipment. In the case of one aircraft the empty weight has been brought down to 16,286 lb. For major overhauls and inspections the Dakotas are flown to the company's base at Germiston. The resident staff at Francistown comprises three senior commanders, two second pilots and four engineers. Africair, Ltd., is a subsidiary of the General Mining and Finance Corporation, Ltd., one of the oldest of the Rand's great mining houses. Its managing director is Mr. T. V. Mitchell, formerly of R.A.F. Transport Command and before the war an experimental and production test pilot for Handley Page. The African company came into being soon after the war, and for the first 18 months was mainly engaged in flying mining executives between South Africa and England. It has since provided a valu able means of quick transport from Johannesburg to distant manganese and other mining interests. In many cases it has had to build an airfield before it could operate, but these strips are now maintained by the mines concerned. In addition to the airlift from the far northern territories, the Transvaal Chamber of Mines has sponsored a small lift between Mokhotlong, in Basutoland, and Ladysmith, Natal. Here again the natives have readily taken to the air, but the scheme is a small one, carrying about 50 passengers a month. E.N.T.
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