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Aviation History
1956
1956 - 0968.PDF
114 "Flight" photographs Flying for its own sake—a vie of varied Derby Aviation training aircraft flown by club instructors over the Elstree hangars. Note that two of the three aircraft carry racing numbers. The aerodrome, which is only 72 miles from Marble Arch, boasts a 1,000 yd tarmac runway. PROFIT AND PLEASURE ; Derby Aviation's Diverse Operations ' IT is perhaps a little surprising to arrive at Elstree Flying Cluband see a placard reading "Derby Aviation." But this is by nomeans the only surprising aspect of an organization which has survived the loss of Service flying school contracts to becomea growing independent operator and control a flying club which offers training to a standard not easily obtainable outside specialistorganizations. Derby Aviation's swords have been beaten into shares, and the shares are beginning to pay dividends.The explanation of Derby's influence at Elstree is contained in the organization of the parent holding company, Air Schools, Ltd.Derby Aviation, whose headquarters and flying club mess are at Burnaston House, Derby, are responsible for the maintenance andflying services at Derby Airport but also operate the small Derby Aero Club and the Elstree Flying Club.Air Schools was formed as an R.F.S. at Derby in 1938 by the late W/C. Roy Harben, D.F.C., and became—along with DerbyAero Club—the first occupant of the newly opened airfield. Resi- dents of Derby became accustomed to seeing Harts and Hindsoverhead, although it must remain a matter for conjecture how many people could make the distinction. The outbreak of war involved the replacement of the Derby R.F.S. with an Elementary Flying Training School, and theexpanded scope of Air School's operations—and circuit congestion —may be visualized from the somewhat staggering total of 108Magisters on the strength. Despite these large numbers, No. 16 was justifiably proud of maintaining the lowest accident rate ofany E.F.T.S. The insistence on sound airmanship and discipline that this record required is maintained in the flying training givenat Elstree today. The first expansion of the growing organization was the forma-tion of No. 28 E.F.T.S. at Wolverhampton, where, as at Derby, the civilian organization was responsible for the operation andmaintenance of the aircraft. These para-military activities con- tinued after the war with the reappearance of the R.F.S. at bothWolverhampton and Derby, the former operating Tiger Moths until its closure, although by then re-equipment with the equallypopular Chipmunk was well under way. Wolverhampton and Derby Aero Clubs revived as well, and the clubhouses which theyhad occupied before the war were an asset considerably envied by less fortunate clubs. At this time, too, Derby Aviation madeits first venture into the charter field with the acquisition of four demobilized D.H. Rapides. For many civilian operators who had relied on Service trainingcontracts, this was a crucial period, but the four Rapides wearing the dark-and-light-blue livery of Derby Aviation were immediatelyput to work on the first of several scheduled services to be developed—in the first instance, flights between Derby or Wol-verhampton, Birmingham and Jersey. There is a very considerable seasonal demand for passage between the Midlands and theChannel Isles, and in early 1955 it was found possible to intro- duce a 36-seater DC-3 onto this route. Nottingham was alsoincluded in the towns served, although the Derby-Nottingham stage-length is too short to be economic by air and at present isserved by a connecting coach service. Operating rights at Notting- ham are, however, retained. Recent growth has been rapid. Now only one Rapide remains,but a second Dakota (Viscount Montgomery's war-time aircraft) has been overhauled by the Derby maintenance facility and addedto the fleet, which also has the unique distinction of being the only British company operating Marathons. The purchase of theseaircraft, powered by Gipsy Queen 70 Mk 4 engines, enables one DC-3 to be more or less permanently devoted to the long-termcharter work for which Dakotas are in great demand. Elstree instructors. Left to right: David Ogilvy, C.F.I., W, H. Bailey, K. Howard and A. E. Vernon.
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