FlightGlobal.com
Home
Premium
Archive
Video
Images
Forum
Atlas
Blogs
Jobs
Shop
RSS
Email Newsletters
You are in:
Home
Aviation History
1953
1953 - 0655.PDF
fM W AIRC 6Hf and IAFT ENGINEER First Aeronautical Weekly in the World Founded 1909 No. 2314 Vol. LXIII. FRIDAY, 29 MAY 1953 EDITOR MAURICE A. SMITH, D.F.C. ASSISTANT EDITOR H. F. KING, M.B.E. ART EDITOR JOHN YOXALL Editorial, Advertising and Publishing Offices: DORSET HOUSE, STAMFORD STREET, LONDON, S.E.1. Telegrams, Flightpres, Sedist, London- Telephone, Waterloo 3333 (60 lines)- Branch Offices: COVENTRY 8-10, Corporation Street. Telegrams, Autocar, Coventry. Telephone, Coventry 5210. BIRMINGHAM, 2 King Edward House, New Street. Telegrams, Autopress, Birmingham. Telephone, Midland 7191 (7 fines). MANCHESTER, 3 260 Deansgate. Telegrams, lliffe, Manchester. Telephone, Blackfriars +412 (3 lines). Deansgate 3595 (2 lines). GLASGOW,'C2. 26b Renfield Street. Telegrams, lliffe, Glasgow. Telephone, Central 1265 (2 lines). SUBSCRIPTION RATES Home and Overseas: Twelve months £3 3s. Od. U.S.A. and Canada, $10.00. BY AIR: To Canada and U.S.A., six months, $16. IN THIS ISSUE: Middle East and Far East 651 Commands of the R.A.F. 670 Commonwealth Air Forces 684 Naval Aviation - - - 690 In the Queen's Lifetime 698 For the Future - - - 704 Whitsun Flying Events and News of the Week 706 Sovereign of the Air Age OUR issue this week commemorates a splendid occasion and one unique in living memory : the Coronation of a young and lovely Queen—Elizabeth II. Many have already sought to associate her reign, as yet so brief, with that of her royal namesake Queen Elizabeth I; and, though the personality of our present Queen could scarcely be less like that of her ancestor, the analogy is not inappropriate. The last half of the sixteenth century is with justification remembered as a golden age when this nation and country rose to greatness through the efforts of wise statesmen, brave seamen and soldiers, and industrious and thrifty merchants. Today, men of comparable foresight, bravery and skill offer us hope for the preservation of our nation's greatness and mature influence for good. But to their numbers must be added the scientists and engineers and those who sail the air in the products of their skill. As much now as in the days of Drake and Raleigh, the merchant fleet stands firm behind the battle line, indispensable alike for reserve and supply. And today the merchant service of the air shows every sign of becoming as great as, and even more potent than, the merchant marine. Thus, in choosing The Queen's Air Forces as the theme of this Coronation number, we may jusdy associate with them the Queen's Merchant Air Service and all the Queen's aviators. That it is in some strange way satisfying to draw parallels with a glorious period in the past should not be permitted to divert one's thoughts from the aspirations and plans for the future. We would wish our young Queen the wise far-seeing counsels that will ease her responsibilities—such service had much to do with the prosperity of that earlier golden age. We believe that, should they be called upon, her airmen, soldiers and sailors—better trained and better equipped than ever before—will prove more deter mined, more resourceful and, if possible, even braver than those before them. Although in stating this conviction we have foremost in our minds valour in the profession of arms, the young men who test and prove aircraft, at Boscombe Down, Farnborough and elsewhere, exhibit these same qualities in a different, calculated degree in their day-to-day work. In this vastly complicated life today a premium is often placed upon experience long in the gaining. This is a good thing unless it excludes the vigour and clear thinking of youth. Drake was a captain of his ship at 22; at 34 Sir Richard Grenville commanded a fleet of seven ships; Raleigh was knighted for his exploits when 32 years of age. If there is to be a second golden age it will be primarily a golden air age. The air is essen tially the medium of youth and high spirits with which in today's aircrew captains wise training has contrived to combine a maturity of judgment and a sense of responsibility which belies that youth. Above all, the inspiration we need, and the embodiment of these qualities, is found in Her Majesty, on June 2nd to be crowned Queen Elizabeth II.
Sign up to
Flight Digital Magazine
Flight Print Magazine
Airline Business Magazine
E-newsletters
RSS
Events
