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Aviation History
1956
1956 - 1476.PDF
628 The Czechoslovak pilot Frantisek Novak and the Sokol M.1C in which he set up recent closed-circuit and straight-line distance records. Novak is on instructor at the Brno Aero Club; details of his flights are given below. CHEAPER BY THE DOZEN CZECH-FLIGHTS social and commercial advantages of using business•*• aircraft to cover long distances in the U.S.A. are very real, but the high costs associated with the relatively low utilizationusually obtained are often hardly worthwhile unless the private- owner flies for enjoyment as well. In Burbank, California, anon-profit organization known as the "Sky Roamers" provides —by a system of collective operation—very much cheaper flyingfor businessmen than would be possible individually. One of the few American clubs to survive the post-wardoldrums, the Sky Roamers now has a membership of 85, and nine Cessna aircraft—two 170s, five 172s, and two 180s—arebeing operated. It is likely that at least three larger executive aircraft—probably Piper Apaches—will soon be added to thefleet. Membership of the organization is on a closely-controlled basis of financial obligation to the club. Each member becomesa shareholder with a negotiable share of stock based on his class of membership—ranging from £160 for training membershipto £1,250 for membership entitling the holder to operate all the light aircraft owned by the club, including the pending twin-engined types. Compared with private ownership, only about one-tenth of the capital outlay need be found; and, by virtue ofgroup maintenance and high utilization, operating costs are halved. All the aircraft are equipped with up-to-date instruments,navigation and communications aids and safety devices, and the policy of weekend pleasure flying in addition to business flightsduring the week results in a large number of hours being accumu- lated—a recent month's average was 75 hours per aircraft. Someplanning ahead may be necessary if a specific type of Cessna is required, but the members usually experience no difficulty ingetting an aircraft when they need it. Sky Roamers have now flown 28,000 hours ("around the world 140 times") since thepool scheme began. world distance record for aircraft weighing between 500-*- and 1,000 kg has been claimed by Czechoslovakia for a flight of 4,400 km (2,734 miles) made by Frantisek Novak on September20-21. Novak, flying a Sokol MIC, took off from Brno (where he is an aero-club instructor) in Czechoslovakia and landed atKulunda, U.S.S.R., after a flight lasting 22 hr 12 min. The previous straight-line distance record for this class was of3,963 km (2,462 miles), set up by the American pilot Max Conrad in a Piper Pacer in 1952. This is the third record-breaking flight by Novak within thelast fifteen months, the earlier two being for closed-circuit distance. In June 1955 he flew 3,116 km (1,948 miles) in theSokol to gain the closed-circuit distance record in category C.lb (500-1,000 kg); and in August 1956, at a take-off weightof 1,004 kg (carrying 600 litres of fuel) he gained the category C.lc (1,000-1,750 kg) record for a closed-circuit flight of 4,423 km(2,764 miles) in the same aircraft, lasting 22 hr 11 min. The circuit distance was 100.5 km. ASIAN AGREEMENT AFTER much patient and delicate negotiation, an agreement• was signed in New Delhi on October 1 by India and Ceylon which permits Air Ceylon to operate into and out of Bombayairport and to pick up passengers there—a cabotage right which had been denied to the airline since access to Bombay was refusedby India in June. The bone of contention was the financial interest of K.L.M. in Air Ceylon. India insisted that since themajority of the K.L.M.-Air Ceylon combine shares were held by the Dutch airlines, Air Ceylon did not have full control ofthe combine and was not, under the existing combine agreement, permitted to operate services. BREVITIES OPENING Eagle Aviation's London terminal (see p. 625)Mr. J. Profumo, Parliamentary Secretary to the M.T.C.A., announced that the second stage of a plan designed to simplifythe trans-shipment of freight to and from London Airport was put into operation on October 1. * * * A new 2,000-yd landing strip was opened last month by Presi-dent Carlos Iabenz at Arica airport in Chile. * * * The supplies manager »f B.O.A.C., Sir William Cushion, retired recently after being with the Corporation for ten years. Eighteen airlines operating in New York State have agreed toemploy Negroes as pilots or other members of their crews. The Israeli Government has asked that the new reduced-rate fares across the Atlantic be extended in validity from 15 to 17 days in order to give tourists reasonable time to visit Israel. * * * Deutsche Lufthansa (West Germany) is threatening to take legalaction against the Soviet Zone Lufthansa unless the use of its name and emblems is restricted to the East Zone of Germany.* * * Mr. Sherman Fairchild, founder and director of FairchildEngines and Airplane Corporation, has resigned from the board of Pan American as a result of C.A.B. refusal to approve hisdirectorships in both corporations. * * * More than 11,500 passengers have been carried by helicopterbetween Rotterdam and Brussels. New services between Rotter- dam and Paris and to Luxemburg, Saarbrucken, the Hague andAmsterdam may soon be flown by Sabena machines. It is reported from Peking that the sixth new airline this year has been opened in China. * * * The East-German Lufthansa opened a service between Berlin and Moscow on October 7. * * * An agreement for the establishment of regular commercial air services between Egypt and Saudi Arabia was signed in Cairo recently. * * * Members of the Russian Olympic team will fly part of the way to Melbourne in the Tu-104. Lt-Gen. Zakharov, Russia's vice- chief of civil aviation, announced that a "new jet plane designed to carry 180 passengers" is being "rushed to completion." * * * The Czechoslovak radio network reports that Czechoslovak Air- lines are to extend their Prague-Belgrade service to Albania and open a new service to Cairo. Aeroflot will put the Tu-104 into regular service on the Moscow-Prague route this month. * * * Bournemouth (Hurn) Airport Advisory Committee, who esti-mate that 23.000 passengers a year will use the airport by 1959, are to complain to the M.T.C.A. about the lack of available passenger facilities. * * * Eight passengers and the pilot, Mr. John Davies, escaped froma D.H. Rapide of Don Everall Aviation following a forced landing in a Warwickshire field after an engine failure on a flight fromParis to Birmingham. Three were slightly injured; the aircraft was burned out.
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