FlightGlobal.com
Home
Premium
Archive
Video
Images
Forum
Atlas
Blogs
Jobs
Shop
RSS
Email Newsletters
You are in:
Home
Aviation History
1954
1954 - 0470.PDF
220 FLIGHT 19 Feb. 1954 LINKING PAST AND PRESENT: Capt. Ren6 Cadier, shown in the cockpit of an Air France Viscount, was two months old when M. Lucien Bossoutrot (right-hand seat) flew the first French passenger service on February 8th, 1919. The aircraft (right) was this 8j1S-seat Farman Goliath, one of the largest of the early bombers converted to transport aircraft. CIVIL AVIATION . . . FRENCH AIR TRANSPORT ANNIVERSARY THE air route between London and Paris is important not only as a link between two of the world's greatest cities but also as the corridor in which the very first airline services were operated. For nearly 35 years it has seen intensive competition between British and French civil operators, although the first passenger service was in fact flown by the R.A.F.—in December 1918. In that month, a communications flight was formed to take members of the British Government to Paris for the Peace Conference. Altogether this unit made 749 flights to Paris, carry ing 934 passengers (among them Sir Winston Churchill) and 1,008 bags of mail. Scheduled civil passenger services were started on August 25th, 1919, by Britain's first airline—Aircraft Transport and Travel, Ltd. A few weeks earlier, on July 14th, the company had made its first charter flight between the two cities. French operations began on February 8th, 1919, with a journey from Toussus-le-Noble to Kenley by a Farman Goliath, an event recalled on Monday of last week when Air France celebrated "the 35th anniversary of international commercial aviation." The Goliath, powered by two 260 h.p. Salmson engines, was designed, built and produced by Henri Farman, and was bought from him by the French Government shortly before the flight. Contemporary accounts of this historic visit to London give slightly varying estimates of the journey time and of the number of passengers aboard. Flight recorded on February 13th, 1919, that the Goliath "left Toussus-le-Noble at 11.15 a.m. . . . and arrived at Kenley aerodrome, near Croydon, at 2.30 p.m. It was piloted by Lieut. Bossoutrot and among the thirteen military passengers on board was Sgt. M. Chevillard, who was well known at Hendon in pre-war days." BRITAIN'S DELEGATE on the I.C.A.O. Council since 1947, Sir Frederick Tymms, is shortly returning to England. With Sir Frederick (right) at his last council meeting in Montreal is seen Mr. J. E. Keel, his successor. One of the passengers was a representative of the French journal L'Aerophile, who was most impressed by the quality of accommodation provided in the Goliath: "No more mufflers, no more fur-lined flying clothing, or paper underclothing. Some of us were only wearing our uniform tunics without greatcoats. One can talk easily in the cabin, much better than in an ordinary aeroplane; that is to say, that the noise of the engines is not too deafening. As for the port-holes, they are placed in such a manner that visibility is perfect." The organizers of the flight seem to have anticipated prac tically every amenity enjoyed by air travellers today. Passengers were provided with a "small overnight bag" for the night-stop in London and with refreshments consisting of "a hamper of provisions for lunch" and "the first glasses of champagne ever to be swilled in an aerial bus above the Channel." Air France, whose DC-4s and Viscounts are expected to carry over 100,000 people between Paris and London this year, cele brated the 35th anniversary of the Goliath flight by flying a number of distinguished passengers over the route in one of their new British turboprop airliners. The aircraft, F-BGNP, was actually the sixth to be delivered. M. Farman, now 72, was at Orly to wish it bon voyage but did not feel well enough to travel himself. Among those on board was the Goliath pilot, Lucien Bossoutrot, who, at 64, now has to his credit 12,000 flying hours in 188 types of aircraft. He took a spell at the controls of the Viscount and declared himself greatly impressed with its handling qualities. Other passengers included M. Ziegler, the director- general of Air France, and M. Auburtin, vice-president of the Municipal Council of Paris, bringing a message of greeting to the Lord Mayor of London, Sir Noel Bowater. M. Auburtin was greeted at London Airport by the Lord Mayor's First Esquire and Swordbearer, Mr. W. T. Boston, Who joined the Viscount for the return journey to convey a reciprocal message from Sir Noel. This atmosphere of Anglo-French co-operation was enhanced by the presentation—by Mr. R. P. H. Yapp, director of Vickers- Armstrongs, Ltd.—to M. Bossoutrot of a beautifully finished model Viscount. Although the London-Orly stage-length of 227 miles is rather short for the Viscount, the type is used by Air France on two of their seven round trips daily between these airports. The main reason is, of course, its strong passenger-appeal, which is strengthened by the gastronomic attractions of the celebrated "Epicurian" cuisine. We personally sampled this combination by boarding F-BGNP for the return flight to Paris. Timetables allow the Viscount 1 hr 25 min for the journey: it sets off from L.A.P. each day at 1.30 p.m. and, passing from one time-zone to another, is due to touch down at Orly at 3.55 p.m. Cruising over the weather at 15,000ft, F-BGNP got us there in 55 min—11 min over the Epicurean record. The French landscape was bleached with snow, and there was a thick layer of tyre-grooved slush on the Orly runway. Although Capt. Cadier's touch-down was feather-light the Viscount sent up a cloud of crystals as it landed. Some of the snow was melted as it passed through the Dart-efflux to emerge between flaps and wings, adding to the effect of alighting on water. As on the "aerial bus" of 35 years ago, champagne was served aboard our Viscount as it crossed the unseen Channel. The excellent chicken lunch would perhaps have been even better had there been a little more time in which to relish it; but this is a small price to pay for the smooth swiftness of the Viscount. Like B.E.A.'s Type 701s, the French 708s accommodate 47
Sign up to
Flight Digital Magazine
Flight Print Magazine
Airline Business Magazine
E-newsletters
RSS
Events
