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Aviation History
1953
1953 - 0739.PDF
FLIGHT, 5 June 1953 733 CORRESPONDENCE The Editor of "Flight" does not hold himself responsible for the views expressed by correspondents in these columns; the names and addresses of the writers, not necessarily for publication, must in all cases accompany letters. Historic Aircraft Endangered TT is most disturbing to hear that the Nash Collection is for sale, * and is likely to go to an American bidder. Although we have become used to the mighty greenback getting its own way in most spheres, can we do nothing to stop these fine examples of the skill and ingenuity of the men who started Britain off on the right foot in the flying world being shipped away to an American museum? A Bill has just been passed in the House authorizing the expen diture of half a million pounds for the purchase of fine and ancient buildings, while a further £250,000 is to be spent annually on their maintenance; a very creditable piece of legislation which will appear as little more than a comma among the astronomical figures involved in the national budget. But for how much less could the frail examples of early achievement be bought and maintained for the benefit of future generations who will accept air transport as something too commonplace to be remarkable ? Cannot the Government, or some other national body, show a little foresight ? It wouldn't cost much. Denham, Bucks. R. E. GILLMAN, Chairman, Vintage Aeroplane Club. "Forcible Feeding" VT'OUR editorial under the above heading (May 15th) gave stress -•- to what has long been my flying training axiom No. I, i.e. "Flying experience is gained not simply by flying hours, but by those hours spread over a period of time" (para. 4, "Aircrew Train ing," Flight, February 13th, 1953). In other words, a pupil must have plenty of time to think, talk, read, argue and discuss flying—time to re-live every minute of every trip, and, by so doing, increasingly develop that indefinable quality which, for want of a better word, we term "air-sense." My second axiom is, "A pilot should be 25 years of age, with at least five years training, before going on to 'productive' flying." After all, who would think of sending a 20-year-old half-way across the world as captain of a quarter-million-pound oil tanker after only twelve months of intensive training ? Why, then, expect him safely to captain an aircraft of almost the same value, in an environment containing greater hazards ? How are we to afford to give this training, spread over a period of time? Once again, I reiterate that it can be done by a five- year part-time "flying apprenticeship" scheme. University air squadrons are the nearest approach to this type of scheme at present, but only a minute percentage of their personnel pass on to productive Service or civilian flying. Could not a scheme be adopted to embrace a wider section of the eligible population and give opportunity to those more likely to make flying their career ? Perhaps also this scheme could very well be the answer to "Whose Problem?", page 609, Flight, May 15th, 1953. B. V. GEMMEIX, Woodvale, Cheshire. for Chief Instructor, No. 19 R.F.S. Combat Psychology P I a recent article (May 15th) you summarized an important paper on the psychological aspects of combat flying. The author mentioned that the omnipotent cause of neurosis caused by flying was fear. He went on to say that no reliable method of selection had yet been found. I should like to point out that I, for one, tried very hard during the war to point out that one very large and very cardinal errcr was being made almost all the time in the selection of pilots for combat. The paper mentioned the rejection of all those grossly unsuitable at intake. So far as I could make out, this included all the young men who had gone to the trouble and expense of learning to fly before the war started. Yet, in my opinion, the only real antidote to fear is interest. The only people really competent to say that a man should not undergo the stress of operational or combat flying is someone who doesn't mind trying it, who has done so, and who still thinks the thrill is worth the worry. I would suggest that there were very few medical officers who had this experience. Many pilots maintained their status as combat flyers as a matter of duty, with good breeding, sound education, perhaps many years of secure parental example, and a fairly robust outlook of life; this bolstering-up was possible, but only for a time. I spent a great deal of the time with pilots in the air, as a pupil myself, as co-pilot on various escapades, and as instructor. Some looked back to the good old peaceful days, many looked forward to an early catastrophe, but some quite frankly were enjoying themselves. The last category never got neurosis, or, if they did, they were capable of keeping it in its place and, like Scarlett O'Hara in Gone With the Wind, were able to say, "I'll worry about it tomorrow." Since the war, I have come across quite a number of pilots who volunteered for combat flying from the ranks. After going through the selection sausage-machine they found themselves not flying, not even in the Service at all. Yet the moment the war is over they are at it again, learning to fly; and, so far as I have been able to judge from teaching them aerobatics and suchlike, they make a very good job of it. This is the real selection. The man who has a spontaneous interest in flying starts with a substantial advantage in combat over the opponent who has not. In wartime, the selectors should be able to choose from people who already fly because they like it. There should be thousands of them, and, above all, the professional pilots should realize that their status would be higher, not lower, if there were very many more private licence holders. London, W.C.i. J. NOEL JACKSON. An Identity Established Y OUR correspondent Mr. Gaylard (May 8th) asks for the name of the pilot in his picture of the B.A.T. Crow. It is undoubtedly Captain Vaughan. He had a very narrow escape on this little machine when the bucket seat came adrift from its moorings on the skid and put him out of reach of the rudder bar. He had to haul himself forward with one hand and manipulate the stick with the other. He got down safely into Hendon. A history of the B.A.T. firm (to which I was apprenticed at its beginning and of which I was the last paid employee) would surely be of great interest today. For the record, the other test pilots of B.A.T. were Peter Leigh, who was killed while going for the height record in a Basilisk; Major Christopher Draper (still flying, apparently); Robin Duke, later killed as an airline pilot over Beauvais; and "Calf's head" Turner. London, W.C.i. G. H. SAXON MILLS. YOUR correspondent Mr. A. H. Curtis (May 22nd) is incorrect when he states that the photograph of the B.A.T. Crow depicts R. Vaughan Fowler in the pilot's seat. It was, in point of fact, a Mr. Vaughan, who was one of the B.A.T. Company's pilots. London, N.W.4. R. E. NICOLL. I IDENTIFY the pilot of the F.K.28 Crow as Mr. C. R. Vaughan, holder of Air Ministry pilot's licence No. 57. His face is quite unmistakable (which is not meant to be uncompli-. mentary). He was an ex-R.N.A.S. pilot of the 1914-18 war with the rank of captain; and did quite a lot of flying for Mr. Koolhoven after the war. The last time I saw him was around 1930, when I was employed by Capt. F. Warren-Merrian, the aeronautical consultant. Capt. Vaughan was one of the many hundreds of pilots who were taught to fly by Capt. Merrian during World War I. I learnt quite a bit about B.A.T. history from Capt. Vaughan, who flew the Bantam, Basilisk, Crow and, later, the Koolhoven F.K.41 built in Holland, a high-wing monoplane with a Bristol Jupiter. The Bantam was rather tricky, due to the small gap between the wings and lack of stagger; it was deadly when spun. Cockfosters, Herts. NORMAN V. BRITTAIN. FORTHCOMING EVENTS June 5-7. Yorkshire Aeroplane Club: International Rally. June 6. Leicestershire Aero Club: Coronation Air Display, Leicester East Airfield. June 7. Aero-Club d'ltalia: Rome Grand Prix. June 8-18. British Plastics Exhibition and Convention, Olympia, London. June 11. R.Ae.S.: Ninth British Commonwealth and Empire Lecture. "Problems in Development of Air Transport in West Africa." by Sir Hubert Walker. C.B.E. June 13. "At Home," R.N. Air Station, Lee-on-Solent. June13-14. Aero-Club d'ltalia: Air Tour of Sicily. June13-14. Rhodes Centenary Air Display and Rally, Salisbury, Rhodesia. June 14. Ae>o-Club de Tangier: Tangiers Rally. June 14. R.Ae.S.: Garden Party, Hatfield. June 15. Coronation Naval Review. June 16. I.C.A.O.: Opening of Seventh Assembly, Brighton. June 17. Aircraft Recognition Society: Special General Meeting. June 19. Institute of Navigation: "Accuracy of Wind Forecasts for Aviation," by C. S. Durst and D. G. Harlev. June19-28. Zurich: British Chamber of Commerce "Made in England" Exhibition (including aviation). June 20. "At Home": R.N. Air Station, Culdrose.
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