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Aviation History
1954
1954 - 1407.PDF
626 FLIGHT CLUB AND GLIDING NEWS ULSTER BRIEFING: a pre-fight session at Newtownards, the Ulster Flying Club's aerodrome. Members of the club are "at home" to visit ing pilots on July 10th. f\ N Monday last the Royal Aero Club announced the entry-list ^ —28 aircraft—for the Royal Aero Club Trophy Race, to be flown over a 183-mile four-leg circuit from Baginton, Coventry's civic aerodrome. The winner will receive the new Trophy—to be won outright—and £100, and there are a number of special awards, details of which were given in Flight of February 26th last. The contest takes place on the evening of Friday, June 18th, and on the following day the first 15 British pilots to finish in the race will compete over four laps of a 17-mile circuit for the second and final event of the 1954 National Air Races, the King's Cup. An air display, with "fifty years of powered flight" as the theme, will take place on each day. Three foreign entries figure in the list for the race: Capt. J. H. Christie, of Norway, this time in an American Globe Swift (with Continental C-125-2F engine); R. Uges from Holland, with a Sokol M.l.d (Walter Mikron); and J. de Luigi, of Switzerland, in an Italian Nardi F.N.305, engine unspecified. The British entries are largely drawn from the ranks of regular air-racing exponents, though the new "130 m.p.h. minimum" rule has eliminated the usual Austers and Tiger Moths. On the scratch mark is the Spitfire 5 G-AISU, entered by A. Cdre. A. H. Wheeler. Though a special prize—the S.B.A.C. Cup—is offered, there are no jet aircraft other than Fred Dunkerley's Miles Sparrowjet (two Turbomeca Palas), which has yet to make its bow in public. He has also entered his Gemini; as the pilot is unspeci fied in each case, it looks as though the Gemini is being kept as a reserve entry. The competing pilots, in handicap order, are as follows (pilots are also entrants unless otherwise indicated): — G. C. Marler, Falcon Six (Gipsy Six); M. A. D'Arcy, Messenger 2a (Cirrus Major 3); H. Wood, Messenger 2a (Cirrus Major 3), entrant T. G. Stephenson; D. C. Jemmett, Hawk Trainer 3 (Gipsy Major 1C); R. J. H. Saunders, Hawk Trainer 3 (Gipsy Major 1), entrant D. Bianchi; Miss F. M. Leaf, Hawk Major (Gipsy Major 1C); Capt. J. H. Christie, Globe Swift (Continental C-125-2F); W. P. I. Fillingham, Chipmunk (Gipsy Major IOC), entrant W/C. C. A. Pike; D. F. Dray, Proctor 3 (Gipsy Queen 2), entrant L. M. Berner; R. Uges, Sokol M.l.d (Walter Mikron 4-III); T. G Knox, Proctor 3 (Gipsy Queen 2); P. Hillwood, Proctor 1 (Gipsy Queen 2); W/C. R. H. Mcintosh, Proctor 1 (Gipsy Queen 2), entrant C. F. Hughesdon; A. S. K. Paine, Proctor 1 (Gipsy Queen 2); D. J. Bennett, Proctor 5 (Gipsy Queen 2); G. R. I. Parker, Proctor 5 (Gipsy Queen 2), entrant R. Blackburn; W. P. Bowles, Gemini la (two Cirrus Minor 2); W. W. Lyle, Proctor 1 (Gipsy Queen 2); P. Blamire, Gemini la (two Cirrus Minor 2); J. de Luigi, Nardi F.N.305; pilot to be nominated (entrant F. Dunkerley), Sparrowjet (two Turbomeca Palas 1); P. V. Lovett-Campbell, Nighthawk (Gipsy Six 2); pilot to be nominated (entrant F. Dunkerley), Gemini la (two Cirrus Minor 2); S/L. J. Rush, Miles Falcon Six (D.H. Gipsy Six); R. R. Paine, Hawk Speed Six (Gipsy Six IF); pilot to be nominated (entrant D. J. Adie), Mew Gull (Gipsy Six 2); J. N. Somers, Gemini 3 (two D.H. Gipsy Major 1C); pilot to be nominated (entrant A. Cdre. A. H. Wheeler), Spitfire 5 (Merlin 56). APRIL was a very encouraging month for members of the **• Blackpool and Fylde Aero Club, who flew just over 200 hours, bringing the 1954 total to 556. So far this year, there have been seven first solos; six members have obtained their Private Pilot's Licences; a further six have completed their qualifying triangular cross-country flights; two have obtained night ratings; and one has obtained his R/T. licence. The club's Link Trainer is now in use, and it is hoped that this will stimulate further interest among members. "DEDHILL FLYING CLUB, whose aerodrome was recently •*-V closed following the closure of the Reserve School there, is to continue existence, as the Surrey Flying Club, based at Croydon Airport. Operations at the new base commenced last Saturday, with one Hornet Moth; the fleet when complete will include four Tiger Moths and one Auster. A high proportion of the Redhill pilots are continuing to be members of the Surrey club, and indeed the move has been made possible largely dirough the enthusiasm of these members and of the C.F.I., Mr. A. Sproxton. It is hoped that further new members will be attracted from the South London area: the existence of a club able to provide an M.T.C.A.-approved course of instruction at Croydon should be a most useful facility. Main tenance of the Surrey Flying Club's aircraft will be in the hands of Rollasons, Ltd. AN OLYMPIA sailplane belonging to the Surrey/Imperial Col lege Gliding Club, and an R.A.F. T21B Sedbergh were used in a two-week meteorological study of lee-waves in the Isle of Man recently. The investigation was sponsored by the Meteorological Office (as a result of a recommendation by the Committee of Investigation into an aircraft accident in Snowdonia), and was carried out by an expedition led by Dr. R. S. Scorer, of Imperial College Meteorological Department. The Isle of Man was chosen in order to reduce as far as possible random variations in the behaviour of the air: as the wind has an unobstructed approach to the island, any phenomena encountered in the lee of mountains were likely to be caused solely by the mountains themselves. The expedition comprised 15 persons and was based at Ronaldsway Airport. Among the sailplane pilots were Frank Irving, John Neilan and Dr. Ken Machin (who was also responsible for the radio equipment), and also Miss Betsy Woodward, present holder of most of the women's gliding records in the U.S.A., who is at present studying meteorology at Imperial College. During the investigation, a Tiger Moth of the Surrey club was used to tow the sailplanes to a height of about 7.000ft. During the descent, in the lee of a mountain, the sailp'ane pilots reported by radio the machines' height, speed, rate of climb or descent, air temperature and details of any turbulence encountered. Dur ing this time, the position of the sailplane was plotted by means of theodolites, and course instructions were passed to the pilot from the meteorologists by radio. Also taking part in the investigations was an R.A.F. Hastings from Aldergrove, Northern Ireland, from which were measured the temperature, humidity and turbulence of the upper air during the tests. It may be recalled that the possibility of stationary waves in the lee of mountains causing a flight hazard to aircraft has been referred to in Flight on a number of occasions, e.g., in the article "Wave Flying—the Hard Way" on April 2nd. DETAILS have recently been released of two continental air rallies, which members and associate members of the Royal Aero Club are eligible to attend. The first is the third Inter national Air Rally of the Paris Fair, to take place at Toussus-le- Noble aerodrome on May 30th. The second is the International Air Rally of Holland, from June llth-14th, the arrival aerodrome being Hilversum. Further information is available from the Royal Aero Club Air Touring department at Londonderry House. R.Ae.C. PILOTS' CERTIFICATES—APRIL No. Name Class Date 28,584 28,585 28,586 28,587 28,588 28,589 28,590 28.591 28,592 28,593 D. J. Dulborough D. de la Rue ... D. Coulson D. A. MacDonald D. J. B. Keats ... D. W. T. Turner H. S. Field P. T. Carter ... H. O. Fisher ... D. F. MacLaren 4 2 4 4 2 3 2 4 1 2 2.4.54 6.4.54 9.4.54 14.4.54 15.4.54 20.4.54 21.4.54 24.4.54 29.4.54 30.4.54
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