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Aviation History
1956
1956 - 0198.PDF
196 FLIGHT, 17 February 1956 PROGRESS OF THE CLUBS Points from the Ninth Annual A.B.A.C. Report CURRENT membership of the Association of British AeroClubs and Centres, as disclosed in the Report of the Councilfor the year ended June 30th last, stands at a record total of 97 clubs, centres and groups. During the year under review,there were in existence 91 clubs and the continued progress of the club movement had resulted in the highest totals of aircraftowned and hours flown since postwar club-flying began. Commenting on the statistics (see graph) the report says "Theutilization of aircraft is still too low, and clubs have the greatest difficulty in pegging their flying charges in the face of the generalrise in costs; and, before the future of the club movement can be regarded as in any way secure, a considerable increase in flyinghours—and in aircraft utilization—is necessary . . ." The Government concession enabling club aircraft to land atcertain designated State-owned aerodromes free of landing charges, the report continues, had been warmly welcomed by theclubs, "but the Council regret that no pleasure can be recorded at the manner in which the concession is being administered bydie Ministry of Transport and Civil Aviation: that is by means of landing cards obtainable through the Royal Aero Club." TheAssociation itself expected to supply such services on behalf of its member clubs, especially in connection with a concession thatit had itself obtained for diem. A further concession referred to in the report was die provision by Skyways, Ltd., of free landingsat Lympne for club aircraft, on production of a landing card issued by the Association. A total of 26 clubs had applied to participate in the A.T.C. airexperience scheme, and 194 dob pilots had been approved for such flying. The Firms' Flying Clubs scheme was progressingvery slowly indeed. The report goes on to disclose that the West London Aero Clubhad won the Lennox-Boyd Efficiency Trophy for 1954, with Exeter Aero Club second and Southend Air Centre and FlyingSchool third. YJV WBJB90 1948 1949 195O 1951 1952 1953 1954 NUMBER OF CLUBS FLYING HOURS TOTAL CLUB MEMBERSHIP NUMBER OF AIRCRAFT AIRCRAFT UTILIZATION — (Hours p«p Aircraft) Two illustrations from the A.B.A.C. report: (above) annual statistics, 1948-54; (below, left) map showing location of U.K. member and associate-member clubs, 7956. Figures refer to the numbered list of clubs which is given as an appendix to the report. NEW AIR RACE TROPHY THE presentation of a new trophy, the Osram Cup, by dieGeneral Electric Co., Ltd., to die winner of one of this year's National Air Races, has been announced by die Royal Aero Club.The programme of races is based on a modified form of the 1955 arrangements, with two meetings in place of last year's four. Four trophies are to be contested for the 1956 British AirRacing Championship. They are die S.B.A.C. Challenge Cup, the Osram Cup, die Kemsley Challenge Trophy and die GoodyearAir Trophy. First and second rounds of each of these races will be flown at Yeadon on May 21st; third rounds will be at Bagintonon July 21st. The maximum take-off weight for competing air- craft will be 3,858 lb (1,750 kg) and, with the exception of theGoodyear race (which is for Tiger Moths), competitors will not enter for specific races, aircraft being allocated to races. The pilot with most points in each race will become die winnerof the appropriate trophy, and the British Air Racing Champion- ship Trophy will go to the British pilot with die greatest aggre-gate number of points. Competitors for the King's Cup Air Race, which is to takeplace at die Baginton meeting, will comprise the fifteen British pilots at the top of die championship table after completion ofthe three rounds. A new feature this year is that pilots finishing second, diird and fourth in the King's Cup Race will receive meAir League Challenge Cup, Norton-Griffiths Challenge Trophy and Grosvenor Challenge Cup respectively. Course distances and prize-money amounts are as follows:S.B.A.C. Cup and Osram Cup, four eight-mile laps; Kemsley and Goodyear Trophies, diree eight-mile laps; prize-money per roundof each race, first, £100; second, £50; third, £25. The King's Cup race will be flown over four 14-mile laps. Eliminating trials for die British Lockheed International Aero-batic Trophy will be flown on July 20tii at Baginton. Aerobaric performances will be of five minutes' duration, and the six pilotsgaining most points will qualify for me final contest on July 21st. The prizes for mis event are: first, £500; second, £300; diird,£200; in addition, £100 will be awarded to die pilot gaining most points in each of two eliminating groups. Entries for both race meetings should be received by the RoyalAero Club by April 16di (£5 entry fee per round); and for roe acrobatic competition by June 4th, 1956 (£10 entry fee).
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