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Aviation History
1953
1953 - 0721.PDF
5 June 1953 715 HOMING at REARSBY Precision Flying and Church Recognition THE family reunion that is the Auster-Ragosine Homing Trophy competition brought some 30 vari-coloured members of the Auster clan, young and old, back to Rearsby oa the gusty morning and afternoon of last Saturday. Encountering the turbulent wind, and reading the competition rules and briefing instructions, one wondered why people really wanted to submit to the refined torture implied therein. For accurate navigation, accurate flying, accurate time-keeping—all this and church-identification too, were blandly demanded by the organizers. Willing to hazard their nerves and reputations in quest of the vast-capacity trophy were representatives from many clubs; 40 entries had, in fact, been received, but the rough weather deterred some 25 per cent. Ages and types of Austers (and pilots) attending varied considerably, while among the crews were several women navigators and two women pilots. One, Miss Herbert (a V.R. pilot of the W.R.A.F.), flew with Miss Pat McKim (until recently secretary of the Helicopter Association) navigating. The smart Belgian Aiglet Trainer OO-CHT was flown by Miss R. M. Sharpe, test pilot for W. S. Shackleton, Ltd., and the other Belgian- registered machine present, OO-ABU (a Continental-powered Arrow) was flown by Monsieur R. Heuvelmans—Auster's Belgian representative—with Madame Heuvelmans navigating. The briefing instructions, given to each pilot 40 minutes before take-off, described the four turning points and specified the required times and speeds, and the ground objects to be identified. These ground objects comprised a large number of village churches —a change from the factory chimney theme of last year. Demerit marks were added for inaccurate flying and faulty recognition, while credit marks could be obtained for, among other things, good landings near the marked square. Three technical questions from the ground marshals greeted each competitor as he cut his engine after taxying in—a dastardly final blow. During the day, the sight of the various Auster aircraft taking off, landing, disappearing into and emerging from the cloud-swept sky gave little clue as to their relative progress. Judges in the tower spent a vigorous day signalling, judging and recording. Crews on landing gave varying reports; some denied the existence of certain turning points, and Monsieur Heuvelmans complained of "too many little things on the map." Meanwhile the work of the ground handling crews, marshals and refuellers ensured that take-off delays were very few. It was that same evening, at the dinner and dance held in Leicester to mark the occasion, that it became possible to piece together a reasonably coherent overall picture. The full course, approximately 100 miles, should have taken 1 hr 27^ min; one pilot had taken 2 hr 19 min, and one had not yet returned. One aircraft had been reported flying east from the most easterly turning point, and there had been five cases of airsickness. For the COMET IN CANADA FIRST de Havilland Comet to land on the North American continent, the Series iA, number 5301, of the Royal Canadian Air Force arrived according to plan at Uplands Airport, Ottawa, last Friday. This Comet is one of two ordered by the R.C.A.F. for transport and for fighter and radar affiliation exercises. Canadian Sabres were briefed to intercept the Comet over Mon treal and to escort it to its historic landing at Uplands. The route selected for this first jet-transport crossing of the Atlantic was from London Airport to Keflavik (1,180 miles, flight-plan time 3 hr 15 min); Keflavik to Goose Bay (1,495 miles, time 4 hr 15 min); Goose Bay to Ottawa (870 miles, time 2 hr 30 min). The total time for the journey of 3,545 miles was 10 hr 20 min, compared with the normal transport time of 16 to 18 hours. Landing time was 3.03 p.m. G.M.T. On its delivery flight 5301 carried two complete crews, some 14 ground-crewmen, and three D.H. representatives who are to remain with the R.C.A.F. Comets indefinitely. The first crew captained by S/L. J. D. Dickson, Flight Commander Comet Flight, comprised F/Ls. D. Broadfoot, K. Wark, C. Brown and F/O. C. Baine. The second crew who flew the long leg to Goose was S/L. S. Olsen, F/Ls. R. Herbert, D. Stewart, R. Chalk and Sgt. W. Hoehn. D.H. reps, are Messrs. Wright, Allen and Jermyn. R.C.A.F. Comets will carry captain, co-pilot, navigator, radio officer and flight engineer as a normal crew. Those named above have, together with other R.C.A.F. personnel, undergone some seven months of training and preparation. Flying experience has included Comet training flights to Johannesburg and Singapore and several to Rome and Beirut. Soon the second R.C.A.F. Comet iA will follow, and another "Flight" photograph Winners of the class prize—a Fai rey Reed airscrew—for the best performance by an overseas competitor at Rearsby, Monsieur and Madame Heuvelmans, here pictured just before take-off. oil company, one representative made an unofficial forecast for future meetings—Ragosine oil vrith chlorophyll. After the dinner, representatives of the two sponsoring bodies spoke. Mr. A. Harman, chairman of the Auster Flying Club, proposed "Guests and Pilots," and Capt. F. C. Wayman—giving a somewhat critical description of present-day air racing—pro posed the toast of "the Homing Cup." The doubts concerning the winner's identity were removed a little later, when the presentation of prizes was made by Mrs. Wayman. The first prize (Trophy, replica and £50 cash) was won by Mr. L. Morris (pilot) and Mr. D. Gamble, of the home team, the Auster Flying Club. As their 5J.4 machine, G-AIZT, had a Cirrus Minor engine, the Cirrus Trophy also went to Mr. Morris. Runner-up was last year's winner, Mr. G. A. Farley, flying Lee Refrigerators' J.5B Autocar, G-AJYY, and third came Mr. John Radford in his 5J.1 Autocrat, G-AIBY, with Miss Z. Paddon navigating. The Fairey-Recd metal airscrew, for the best perfor mance by an overseas competitor, went to Monsieur and Madame Heuvelmans. Other prizes were presented also, including the Ladies' Prize to Miss Paddon. In an interview following the dinner, the competition secretary, Mr. F. Watkin, commented that the competitors' skill was improv ing each year (this was the sixth), and so the contest was made more difficult. The day's gusty weather had proved an additional test. Mr. Watkin then told an unusual siory of one competitor, a naval lieutenant from H.M.S. Perseus, who had begun the first leg on a reciprocal course, flown off the map, landed at a disused airfield near Peterborough, and taken part in an ox-roasting ceremony, after which the chief ox-roaster—who operated his own Messenger—had refuelled the lieutenant's Auster, enabling him to return to Rearsby 4J hours after his original departure and to arrive at the dinner only 90 minutes late. The most unusual part of that story proved to be its complete truth. K. T. O. Comet from the parent company is expected to visit the United States later on so that PanAm, who have Series Ills on order, may carry out tests and route trials. CORONATION HONOURS AS this issue of Flight closed for press the honours conferred by - the Queen to mark her Coronation were made known. Among the numerous personages connected with aviation whose names appear in the list, the most highly honoured are Mr. Sydney Camm, director and chief designer, Hawker Aircraft, Ltd., and Mr. T. O. M. Sopwith, chairman of the Hawker Siddeley group, who become Knights Bachelor. Mr. R. Cockburn, scientific adviser, Air Ministry, and Mr. E. T. Jones, principal director, Scientific "Research (Air), Ministry of Supply, are made C.B.s and Mr. R. E. Hardingham, O.B.E., secretary and chief executive, Air Registration Board, becomes a C.M.G. Other awards are: W. J. Duncan, Professor of Aeronautics and Fluid Mechanics, Univer sity of Glasgow (C.B.E.); A. Fage, superintendent, Aerodyna mics Division, N.P.L. (C.B.E.); J. Summers, formerly chief test pilot, Vickers-Armstrongs, Ltd. (C.B.E.); Capt. M. J. R. Alder- son, fleet manager, Comets, B.O.A.C. (O.B.E.); W/C. R. P. Beamont, chief test pilot, English Electric Co., Ltd. (O.B.E.); G. H. Miles, chairman of executive committee, Asscciation of British Aero Clubs and Centres (O.B.E.); C. T. Wilkins, assistant chief designer, de Havilland Aircraft Co., Ltd. (O.B.E.); H. J. A. Hill, sales manager, London, B.E.A. (M.B.E.). Capt. R. Rymer, training captain, Viscount Flight, B.E.A., receives the Queen's Commendation for valuable service in the air. R.A.F. honours appear on page 737 and a complete list of civil honours of aeronautical interest will appear in our next issue.
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