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Aviation History
1953
1953 - 0970.PDF
124 FLIGHT, 24 July 1953 CIVIL AVIATION . . . IRAQ ORDERS VISCOUNTS AN order from Iraqi Airways for three Vickers-Armstrongs L Viscounts brings to 84 the total production order for this type. This includes only firm orders (placed by eight different operators), and negotiations are in progress with several other air lines. Iraqi Airways are based at Baghdad, and at present have a fleet of three Vikings and a Dove. The Viscount order was negotiated through B.O.A.C., who act as technical advisers to the Iraqi company. T.W.A. NAVIGATORS' STRIKE AT the time of going to press T.W.A. were operating only 25 - per cent of their scheduled transatlantic services, as the result of a strike involving 94 of the company's navigators. On July 1st, "with the approval of the Government agencies concerned," T.W.A. withdrew navigators from the Paris-Rome route, and within a week most of the company's navigators had failed to report for duty. The airline claimed that this action violated a "no-strike" clause in their contracts, and made it necessary for them to be discharged. A few navigators remained on duty, enabling services from New York to Paris and Rome to continue. Domestic services were unaffected. On Saturday, T.W.A. asked for C.A.A. authority to operate transatlantic services without specialist navigators aboard, but the response to this request is not yet known. RIGHT CITY: WRONG AIRPORT ON July 16th a Colombo-bound B.O.A.C. Comet landed at Juhu, a small airport near Bombay, instead of at Santa Cruz, the main terminal. Although the runway at Juhu is only 3,750ft long, Capt. P, Kerrigan succeeded in pulling up the Comet without serious damage to the aircraft or injury to the 36 pas sengers. All the main tyres were burst, however, and the wheels IN THE NEWS: G-AMWH "Sir Geraint " (left), one of B.E.A.'s two new Bristol 171s, recently operated the first scheduled service (carrying freight) by a British helicopter. G-ANAL, the Westland-Sikorsky S-51 bought by the "Evening Standard," is pictured at Blackbushe, where it is maintained and operated by Silver City Airways. and brakes are also being replaced. Contrary to first reports, B.O.A.C. say that the aircraft, when repaired, will be flown out with a full crew. Juhu is not classed as an "alternate" to Santa Cruz, and the reasons for the Comet's landing at this small airport have not yet been published. An official inquiry into the incident is being held by B.O.A.C. SIDELIGHT ON NATIONALIZATION PI speeches made at the annual meetings of Air-India and of Air-India International, Mr. J. R. D. Tata, chairman of both companies, attacked the Indian Government's handling of the post-war development of civil aviation. Both companies, inci dentally, have now been nationalized, but the name of Air-India International—which carries with it considerable prestige—has been retained by the State-owned overseas operator. Mr. Tata remains honorary chairman. Points from his speeches include the following: contrary to the development plan envisaged by Sir Frederick Tymms, the Govern ment licensed far too many operators for the traffic available on domestic routes; petrol tax placed a crushing burden on operators —enabling the Government to collect, over seven years, a sum exceeding the total price paid for the assets of the entire industry; the terms on which the industry has been taken over "contain an element of expropriation," since operators will receive only 20 per cent of world prices for Dakotas, Vikings and Skymasters and 50 per cent for Constellations. Mr. Tata also pointed out that excessive "fifth-freedom" traffic on the U.K.-India route has violated at least the spirit of the Bermuda Convention. The result has, of course, been detrimental to both the Indian and British operators. India is now attempting to close the stable door by pressing for a revision of her bilateral agreement with America. BREVITIES DR. EDWARD WARNER, who has been president of I.C.A.O. for the past six years, was unanimously "re-elected for a further three-year term on July 7th. * * * Week-end services between Le Touquet and Paris (Le Bourget) are now being operated by Societe d'Exploitation Aerienne du Touquet/Paris-Plage (S.E.A.T.), using Rapide F-BFVM. * * * The twice-weekly S.A.S. "Skytrader" flights—carrying freight only between Copenhagen and Hamburg and New York—are being discontinued. S.A.S. explain that "operations have been uneconomical for some time," due to the limited capacity of the DC-4; two aircraft of this type will now be transferred to Euro pean services. * * * In preparation for the forthcoming inauguration of Sabena's scheduled services with Sikorsky S-55S, a "heliport" was officially opened at Lille last week. This French industrial centre will be linked to Brussels by a 55-minute helicopter service. At a cost reported to be in the region of £50,000, a new fuelling system is being installed at Prestwick. Sixteen 12,000-gal under ground tanks will be connected by pipeline to four hydrants on the apron. The system may be in operation before the end of this year. * * * November 1st has been given as the inaugural date of Japan Air Lines' first international services. According to an agency report, the airline's "five-year plan" involves the purchase of 29 aircraft—including Comets, Britannias and DC-7S—at a cost of over £21111. * * * Already operating the largest Constellation fleet in the world, Trans World Airlines have ordered eight of the latest Model 1049E compound-engined Super Constellations, with delivery beginning in the spring of 1955. * * * The decision to admit Nationalist China and Japan to member ship of I.C.A.O. was made at one of the final meetings of the
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