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Aviation History
1953
1953 - 0548.PDF
544 FLIGHT "Flight" photograph DEPARTURE: In the bright sunshine of a spring day, this Comet was pictured last week as it left London Airport for Rome. COMET TURN-ROUND . . . your passports ready and follow the green light to Customs and immigration." By 8.45 a.m. the steward and stewardess have welcomed the passengers aboard and ensured that each is com fortably seated. Yoke Sugar is ready to leave London, with its payload of 31 passengers (including three infants), plus 673 kg of baggage, 123 kg of diplomatic mail (an unusually large amount, since a Queen's Messenger is among the passengers on this flight), 736 kg of Post Office mail, and 295 kg of cargo. A.T.C. have assured clearance to take off, engines are started and at once the chocks are waved away—there being no need to allow a warming-up period with gas turbines. During the taxi-run out to the airfield a brief pre-take-off check is made by the crew. Final clearance is given and the aircraft turns on to Runway 10R; the four Ghosts are opened up, the brakes released and the Comet unsticks at 9 a.m. precisely. While in the vicinity of London it must conform with the pre scribed traffic pattern, but soon it is clear to climb to its cruising altitude. Just one hour later Yoke Sugar is over Dijon, well on its way to Rome. R.B. THE TEAM BEHIND THE COMET: Originally published in "Flight" of March 6th, the photograph below is reproduced again to illustrate a cross- section of the many people at London and overseas airports who have contributed to B.O.A.C.'s successful first year of operations of jet airliners. Those shown are as follows:— The trio in the foreground are (centre) the Comet Fleet manager (Capt. M. J. R. Alderson), the officer i/c. training (Capt. E. E. Rodley, left) and the fleet main tenance engineer (Mr. ft. A. V. Dismore, right). Behind them are a crew—captain, first officer, engineer officer, radio officer, steward and stewardess. The line-up of eight people on the left are the flying staff administration, fleet communications, fleet liaison and operations planning and operations officers; the fleet secretarial staff representative; fleet navigation officer; and representative of the flying-staff services. In the front rank of the squad on the right are the senior inspector, technical officer, fleet supplies officer, fleet planning engineer, base engineer superintendent, foreman, two chargehands, leading hand, instrument instructor and chargehand (instruments). The second rank consists of the technical records representative, methods planning engineer, a technical officer, engineering secretarial-staff representative, chargehand (electrical), leading hand (sheet metal), chargehand (hydraulics), fitter, inspector (instruments) and leading hand. Behind them are the refueller crew of two. Under the port engines are the tractor crew of four, and beneath the nose (reading now from right to left) are a security warden, an aircraft loader, station operations representative, officer i/c. aircraft catering, officer i/c. service control (representing traffic branch—passenger, freight and mail handling), and the station duty officer. Next is seen the freight and catering equipment van and its driver, then two M.C.A. personnel, the tarmac marshal and the air-traffic controller. The remaining member of the team is the passenger-coach driver.
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