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Aviation History
1956
1956 - 1663.PDF
23 November 1956 825 LONDON OFF-LIMITS The Private Pilot's Dilemma—and Three Possible Solutions THE private pilot is gradually being squeezed out of theLondon area by the combined (though not necessarily con-certed or deliberate) actions of the Ministry of Transport and Civil Aviation, the aircraft manufacturers, and some localresidents hostile to flying near their homes. This situation, foreseen for years, now becomes a critical one with the news thatCroydon is soon to disappear. Like Noah's dove re. urn ing to the Ark after her first (unsuccessful) sortie, the humble user of asmall aeroplane will soon find no rest for the sole of his foot on any airfield in the metropolis. Just before the war, there were ten aerodromes available forprivate pilots within the London Control Zone. Two of them —Croydon and Heston—offered Customs facilities; all hadrefuelling services; and all except two could provide hangarage. That happy position has considerably worsened now, althoughthe number of airports and aerodromes within the L.C.Z. (which is itself larger) has increased to fourteen. For when the privatepilot visiting London on business or for pleasure comes to look for somewhere in the Zone which can offer him refuelling, hangarand repair facilities, he finds that only four airfields fall into that category. These are Croydon, Elstree, Fair Oaks and WhiteWaltham. But both Fair Oaks (near Woking) and White Waltham (near Maidenhead), are quite a long way out; and ofthe four, only Croydon can provide Customs for pilots entering or leaving the Continent.What has happened to the others? Six are used by the industry, viz., Brooklands, Hatfield, Langley, Leavesden, Radlett andWoodley; though Hatfield, Leavesden, Radlett and Woodley are listed in the U.K. Air Pilot as open to civil pilots on priorpermission. Of the remaining four, Northolt has reverted to the R.A.F. andthe other three offer no solution for the private pilot's dilemma. Denham is small, fairly well out and not very accessible exceptby car, and can offer no hangarage and only limited repairs. Hendon's future is at present in the balance; a suggestion aboutit is made later in this article. The fourth is London Airport, which has certain melancholyimplications for the private pilot. One of these is that its opera- tions have nullified two airfields—Hanworth and Heston—whichbefore the war were available to him. Both provided refuelling, hangarage and repairs, and Heston also had Customs. A secondsad implication is that although in theory a private pilot may land at London Airport, in practice it is hedged about with somany restrictions he is rarely likejy to be able to do so. Relevant regulations in the Air Pilot read i "All aircraft using airport arerequired to be equipped with I.L.S. unless special permission, which will be given in isolated instances only, is obtained fromCommandant before the flight"; and "Use normally restricted to aircraft operating on scheduled services, but M.T.C.A. is pre-pared to consider individual applications from operators who are unable to use other aerodromes in the London area, or who havea special reason for wishing to use London Airport. Applica- tions should be made to the Commandant during normal work-ing hours and at other times to A.T.C. Except in special circum- stances, at least 24 hours' notice should be given. Applicationsin respect of single-engined aircraft, or for flights for recreational purposes, will not normally be granted." On the right, a sketch- map showing present- day civil airfields (heavy dots) in the London Control Zone, which is indicated by the dotted line. These airfields are super- imposed on those exist- ing in 1939, all of which offered facilities for the private pilot. Better or worse? The meagre selection of airfields (shown on left) around London available in 1927. But at least four of them were conveniently close to the town centre. This virtually rules out the private pilot. Yet at some Con-tinental and United States airports the story is quite different. Private aircraft are admitted to Schiphol, Amsterdam, providedthey have two-way V.H.F. with correct frequencies; Urbe, only three miles out from Rome, is open to tourist traffic; Barajas,Madrid, has no restrictions. True, Paris Le Bourget and Orly are limited like London to scheduled and transport aircraft; soare Idlewild and La Guardia at New York. But at many Ameri- can airfields military, commercial and private aircraft operatehappily on the same site. This is possibly because in that coun- try the private and business pilot is in a much stronger position—through various representative organizations—than he is here when it comes to bargaining or battling with the authorities. The possibility of a private or executive pilot, British orforeign, being able to land and lodge his aircraft within con- venient reach of London will be even slimmer when Croydonis closed. (Stapleford Tawney remains a possibility; though outside the Zone, it is within convenient reach.) This misfor-tune has been threatening him for years and, as things stand now, may come to pass by 1959; for a recent M.T.C.A. pronounce-ment said the airfield would be "closed and up for sale" by the spring of that year. This will please some of the local residentswho have from time to time protested about private flying at Croydon. In September, 1954, Flight reported: "Increasinguse of Croydon Airport by flying clubs has led a committee representing local residents to approach the Minister of CivilAviation, asking him to take 'immediate steps' to control their activities. The residents allege that the small aircraft are 'botha nuisance and a potential danger.'" Perhaps these residents have strong reasons for their protests; but it is hard to see thatthe small aircraft are quite the nuisance they make them out to be. They do not make nearly as much noise as jets (although,of course, they fly lower); they do not often fly at night; and how is one to fly at all in this small country without flyingover houses? The residents at Croydon, however, look likely to win theday. For the M.T.C.A.—which presumably caters for the small flier as well as the big airlines—has decided that aircraft nowoperating at Croydon will in future do so from Gatwick, "Stage I" in the development of which is expected to be com-pleted by the spring of 1958. This move to a base still further out of London chiefly affects the charter services and the com-panies with premises at Croydon. What about the private pilot who flies from there? He will be admitted to Gatwick provided—note the conditions—he is fully rated for I.F. and his aircraft carries suitable radio equipment. These conditions will alsoapply to executive aircraft, for which Gatwick is too far out from O AVAILABLE IN 1939 ® STILL IN USE • OPENED SINCE 1939
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