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Aviation History
1952
1952 - 3544.PDF
ELEV. IOOFT. EDINBURGH mjiMoti»> INSTRUMENT APPROACH CHART I C AO STANDARD BEAM APPROACH (FRONT BEAM) SPV IB ID ffi'flr* • •''I'll'' • tw«> 732 FLIGHT, 12 December 1952 AID TO APPROACH REPRODUCED here is the first example of a new series of instrument-approach charts produced by the M.C. A. * By comparison with the current series, the new type offers two important advantages : it is more easily read and is more economical to produce, being printed in two colours instead of three. Designed to assist pilots in making an instrument let-down at their destination, such charts are centred on the airport concerned and give an indication of the main radio aids, approach procedures and hazards to navigation, together with a number of references for visual identification; a more detailed picture of the airfield layout is printed on the reverse side of each chart. The original I.C.A.O. specification called for functional use of three colours— subdued black or grey (for topographical and cultural features), magenta (aeronautical information), and transparent blue (water features). Experience with the current series of charts has shown, however, that in congested areas the important aeronautical and procedural information is obscured by the other features, parti cularly under amber or red cockpit lighting. Contour lines, as used in current charts, are not easily interpreted under such conditions and the consequent number of spot heights tends to become excessive, causing difficulty in picking out the height of the more significant obstructions. The approach-chart specifica tion was modified last year to permit production of simplified two-colour charts designed to overcome these disadvantages. The use of modern approach-aids has greatly reduced the need for visual reference to the ground and the new chart accordingly sacrifices cultural and hydrographical detail for the sake of clarity. Layer tints instead of contour-lines are used to show height above airfield level. Printed in sepia, which stands out well under cockpit lighting, the five layers represent increases of 300ft, heights more than 1,500ft above airfield level being shown in the darkest tint. Significant peaks are marked by spot heights. The amount of high ground near Turnhouse made it a suitable site for a prototype chart showing the advantages of the new style of presentation, and this chart was circulated to representative bodies of pilots. Opinions, although favourable, resulted in a number of suggested improvements which have been embodied in the final chart. It is proposed to withdraw the existing charts after an experimental period of six months, during which new-type charts will be available for five different airports; further details are given in M.C.A. Information Circular No. 123/52. INDONESIAN AIR FORCE By HUGO HOOFTMAN THE Indonesian Air Force was formed under very unusual circumstances, some of which are described here by a Dutch journalist who served in Indonesia with the Netherlands Air Force. Although it was only three days after the Japanese sur render—on August 17th, 1945—that Mr. Soekarno, the president, proclaimed Indonesia a republic, five years were to ehpse before the former Netherlands East Indies achieved full independence. During that difficult period a small air force was somewhat painfully built up, mainly with obsolete and unreliable Japanese aircraft, but many of these were captured or destroyed by the Dutch Air Force. The Dutch government had accepted the principle of Indonesian independence but, contending that it was first essential to suppress certain subversive forces inside the republic, twice undertook armed "police- actions"—in July, 1947s and December, 1948. Under the auspices of U.N.O. a peaceful settlement was finally reached and the Republican government regained authority in 1950. Since then some progress has been made in building up both com mercial and military aviation. Training of civil technicians and aircrew is in the hands of an I.C.A.O. mission, and Garuda Indonesian Airways, formed jointly by K.L.M. and the Republic, operates a large network of internal and overseas services. A Dutch mission has played a prominent part in the organization of the Indonesian Air Force. THE initial task of building up an Indonesian Air Force was entrusted, in August, 1945, to A.Cdre. Suryadarma, the present C.-in-C, who received his military educa tion in Holland before the war. He served for a time with the Netherlands Indies Air Force and received a Dutch award for a wartime attack on a Japanese ship. Another former pilot of the N.I.A.F., Vice-Air Commodore Adisut- jipto (later killed in an accident) was appointed head of a flying school. The first Indonesian aircraft were all Japanese machines taken from a large dump near Djokja (Java), and it was on October 10th 1945, that Adisutjipto made the first flight with a two-seat Nishi- koren monoplane. The flying school at Djokja used Willow biplanes of 1933 vintage; R.A.F. pilots who saw them later wondered how the Indonesian pilots ever flew them. However, the Willows were used not only for training but bombing (fitted with two 100 lb bombs under the wings), in company with a number of open-cockpit, two-seat light bombers of the Ida type. The Indonesian Air Force, which is known as the AURI (Angkatan Udara Republik Indonesia), was established as a sep arate service independent from the army on April 9th, 1946. When the first Dutch police-action began on July 21st, 1947, the AURI had accumulated about 30 aircraft in flying condition, all of Japanese design; most were destroyed on the ground by rocket- firing Mustangs and Kittyhawk and Spitfire fighter-bombers. The main target was Boegis, near Malang, where several Oscar fighters, Dinah reconnaissance aircraft and Lily bombers were destroyed. Only a few retaliatory attacks were made : on July 29th, when a Sonia dive-bomber made an ineffective strike on Semarang and when some Willows dropped light bombs on Ambarawa and Salatiga. Dutch Kittyhawks took off to intercept the Sonia but, unfortunately, visibility was poor and over Djokja they mistook for their target an Indian Dakota and thereupon
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