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Aviation History
1955
1955 - 1064.PDF
176 FLIGHT, 29 July 1955 SERVICE AVIATION . . . by S/L. A. Ashworth, D.S.O., D.F.C.,A.F.C. The Canberras, which will be supportedby five Hastings of Transport Command, will fly a total distance of about 21,000statute miles and altogether 129 officers and airmen will take part in the flight.In the Caribbean area the Force will visit Jamaica, British Guiana, Trinidad,Grenada, St. Kitts, Barbados, Antigua, the Bahamas and Bermuda. The Canberraswill not land at Antigua, Grenada or St. Kitts, but will give flying demonstrationsover those islands. During the war the Jamaica bomber fund raised £160,000 tobuy bombers for the Royal Air Force. Two weeks will be spent in Canada,where the Canberras will visit a number of . R.C.A.F. stations, giving flying demonstra-tions and taking part in operational exercises. Round in 16 Hours ON July 14th a Canberra of the RoyalAustralian Air Force circumnavigated Australia (6,000 miles) in 16 hr 40 min.Piloted by F/O. E. G. Camberon, it took off from Amberley, near Brisbane, at 0229hr and landed at 1909 hr. Radar-chain Helicopters TJELICOPTERS from 108 Communica-•*•.••• tions Flight, R.C.A.F., at Bagotville, P.Q., have begun operations in connec-tion with construction of the radar chain known as the Mid-Canada Line. SikorskyS-55 helicopters have already begun flying operations, and the Piasecki H-21As arescheduled to begin their part in the opera- tions during the autumn. The helicopteris assuming a growing importance in R.C.A.F. flying operations. Six PiaseckiH-21As and ten Sikorsky S-55s were obtained during the latter part of 1954,for use in search and rescue work and in construction and maintenance of the Mid-Canada Line. In addition, arrangements are being made to obtain as soon aspossible a number of Piasecki H-21Cs and Sikorsky S-58s. The helicopters are operating fromadvance supply bases set up near the eastern shore of Hudson Bay, and at KnobLake, in northern Quebec. They are being used to carry engineers and surveyparties into the Line area for survey work and selection of suitable locations for heli-copter landing "pads" along the system. Responsibility for building the Mid- "Flight" photograph Members of Queen's University, Belfast, Air Squadron and their Chipmunks at Odiham, where the unit is in summer camp. S/L. K. A. Perkin, the CO., is seated third from the left. Canada Line is vested in the R.C.A.F.,with a division of Bell Telephone Com- pany to assist in the task. Fixed-wing operations in connectionwith the construction of the early-warn- ing system have been going on for sometime. No. 408 (P.R.) Squadron from Rockliffe, near Ottawa, completed photo-graphic operations along the entire line during 1954. In addition they photo-graphed rugged sections of the eastern half of the cnain, in the area where heli-copter work will be extensive. The maps resulting from the aerial survey will aidmaterially in construction planning and airlift operations during and after theconstruction phase. Transport requirements other than thehelicopter airlift are being met by com- mercial air operators but should they beunable to handle this task completely, aircraft of Air Transport Command withheadquarters at Lachine, P.Q., will sup- port them. For this purpose, Dakotas ofNo. 408 Squadron have been equipped with combination ski-wheel landing gearfor year-round operation, and have been fitted with JATO units for assisted takeoff from short strips, which will be located at various lakes along the line. Materials necessary to build the warn- ing chain will be flown to ice landingstrips along the eastern half of the line by fixed-wing aircraft and from these lake-head strips will be carried to their destina- tion by helicopters. No. 108 Communications Flight,R.C.A.F., is commanded by S/L. R. T. Heaslip, A.F.C., CD. R.A.A.F. Units in Malaya '"THE first R.A.A.F. unit to go to Malaya•* under Australia's strategic reserve com- mitment, No. 2 Airfield ConstructionSquadron is sending an advance party to Butterworth next month. The remainderof the unit and its heavy equipment will follow by ship early in September. At a later stage R.A.A.F. operationalsquadrons will move into Butterworth. They will consist of a fighter wing of twosquadrons and a bomber wing of one squadron. Reunion THE first post-war reunion of the officers-*- of No. 2 Squadron is due to take place at the R.A.F. Club, 128 Piccadilly, London,W.I, on October 14th. Particulars and tickets (25s) from F/L. R. J. Linford,R.A.F., No. 600 Squadron, R.Aux.A.F., R.A.F. Biggin Hill, Kent. The Pakistan High Commissioner in London, His Excellency Mohammed Ikramullah, was recently present at the handing-over, at Filton, of the last of a number of Bristol Freighters ordered by the Royal Pakistan Air Force. On the left he is seen with the Begum Ikramullah, G/C. M. Akhtar and Mr. A. J. Pegg after a flight in a Sycamore piloted by Mr. C. T. D. Hosegood; on the right he is inspecting an R.P.A.F. parade in front of the Freighter.
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