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Aviation History
1955
1955 - 0568.PDF
568 FLIGHT CIVIL AVIATION the Minister to examine the. matter. However distinguished its member-ship, without having in its body any representatives from the operators it was very largely divorced from reality, for only the operators could tellthem of the number of applications they had received from ex- or serving R.A.F. pilots, how many had been interviewed, how many rejected, howmany accepted and the general quality of those accepted. The committee might have had a shock if it had had the information which was availableto the committee of the operators and other interested parties which pro- duced the report so utterly rejected by the Ministry. One is reallyamazed that the Ministry could apparently so lightly reject the recom- mendations made by so representative and so distinguished a body asthose who contributed to that report. One might excuse the rejection of the recommendations, but one has difficulty in excusing the apparentnon-acceptance of the conclusions on which those recommendations were based. One hopes that the Ministry will now discuss the report of theinter-departmental committee with those who produced the report incor- porating the training scheme. It may be possible for the one body toconvince the other that there is something wrong somewhere with the other's conclusions. "But to our mind the most serious omission in the conclusions reachedby the Ministry is the failure again to recognize that the pilotage of civil aircraft represents a career. ..." TESTING OF PRESSURE CABINS NEW guidance on the testing of pressure cabins has been issuedby the Air Registration Board in the light of recent know- ledge. The Board's advice takes the form of Civil Aircraft Inspec-tion Procedures Leaflet AL/6-1 (Issue 2), dated March 15th, 1955, The introduction to the leaflet notes that tests which involve load-ing a cabin to pressures exceeding the safety valve blow-off pres- sure should not be made without the prior approval of the Board.After requirements or modifications which affect the strength of the pressure cabin, it adds, the A.R.B. must be consulted on thebest procedure to be adopted. The leaflet points out that any defect which may cause suddenloss of pressure may have serious effects, and that the pressurized part of the fuselage structure and all installations which formpart of the pressure-control system must, therefore, be checked for reliability. Doors, clear-vision windows, emergency exits andthe like should be free to operate and, after closing, should be checked for security; if unusual force was necessary to close anyof these items the cause should be investigated. Attention is drawn to the need for, and ways of, checking skin joints and seams, sand-wich windows, ducting seals, glands and joints. The leaflet also outlines methods to be adopted in conducting functioning testsof pressure control systems and leak-rate tests of pressure cabins. In issuing the leaflet the A.R.B. states that "the proof testoriginally recommended is of doubtful value and the higher pres- sures involved may possibly be deleterious to the structure sub-sequently. In the circumstances the particular test is no longer recommended and has been deleted." BREVITIES UNTIL recently director-general of the Aeroport de Paris (theorganization which controls both Orly and Le Bourget), M. Louis Lesieux has been appointed director-general of Air France.He succeeds M. Rene Briand, who is retiring from the airline but will continue to act as an adviser, with the title of honorarydirector-general. M. Lesieux will work directly under M. Max Hymans, president of Air France. * * * American Airlines have increased an order, first announced in1954, for additional Douglas transports to be delivered in 1956-57. Earlier, the company had planned to increase its all-freight fleetby the addition of seven DC-6As; the new order calls for the delivery of 14 DC-7s and four DC-6As. When all the aircraft onorder have been delivered American Airlines will have a total fleet of 205 aircraft made up as follows: 39 DC-7s, 50 DC-6s, 25DC-6Bs, seven DC-6As, 75 Convairs and nine DC-4 freighters. Radar equipment ordered for the new Southern Air Traffic Control Centre includes two long-range heightfinders of latest Marconi S.I3 pattern. The aerial for this radar can be mounted on a gantry or, as illustrated, on the small building which houses the transmitter, modulator and receiver. M. Louis Lesieux, the new director-general of Air France, whose appointment is recorded below. Height-finding radar equipment depicted on April 1st wascaptioned as of Marconi S.13 type. The radar shown was, in fact, older equipment (though still in use at S.A.T.C.C.) and not of Marconi manufacture; the S.13 is illustrated below. * * * The second of eight Super Constellations ordered by Lufthansafor transatlantic services arrived at Hamburg on April 21st, carry- ing a crew of twelve. Its operators had hoped to cover the 5,700miles from Burbank, California, to Hamburg in a single hop, but winds were not favourable and the aircraft had to make a refuel-ling stop in Iceland. * * * Non-stop services between New York and San Francisco, op- erated by DC-7s, will be inaugurated by United Air Lines on May 6th. East-bound services will take 8|hr to cover the 3,000- mile route. * * * Mr. Douglas D. Laurie has succeeded Mr. R. G. ("Ben")Cochrane as United Kingdom manager for Trans-Australia Air- lines. Mr. Laurie's appointment covers both commercial andtechnical interests of T.A.A. in this country, the airline's resident technical representative, Mr. Frank Austin, having returned toAustralia early this month. * * * Flown by Capt. R. Donovan, an Australian pilot formerly withK.L.M., a Super Constellation of Pakistan International Airlines set up an unofficial record on April 16th by completing the 3,800-mile route from London to Karachi in 13ihr flying time. Scheduled time for the flight is 15hr 50min. * * * Lord Douglas of Kirtleside, chairman of B.E.A., left LondonAirport on April 15th for a visit to America, where he is studying Sikorsky and Piasecki progress with multi-engined helicopters.He was later expected to attend the I.A.T.A. technical conference at Puerto Rico. Before departure, Lord Douglas said that therewas no question at this stage of B.E.A.'s placing firm orders with any of the American companies. * * * New York will be the venue for the 11th annual meeting of theInternational Air Transport Association. Senior executives of the 72 member airlines will hold their discussions in the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel from October 17-21st inclusive. At the opening session, Mr. Juan Trippe, president of P.A.W.A., will take officeas president of I.A.T.A. in succession to M. Hymans, president of Air France. Some 120 representatives of the I.A.T.A. airlinesare taking part in the Association's 8th technical conference, which began at Puerto Rico on April 25th and is expected to continueuntil May 7th.
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