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Aviation History
1957
1957 - 1443.PDF
A unique trooping feature in Transair s Viscounts is this four-cot creche up forward, where there is also a separate section for mothers. The main cabin accommodates 58 rearward-facing, adjustable seats (by Flight Equipment); these are all fire-abreast except for eight seats aft, with tables, reserved for senior officers. (Right) The scene at Gibraltar as the chiefs of the three Services greet the arrival of the Viscount. 533 But it is hardly necessary to say that it is business worthhaving. At the moment, trooping accounts for about two-thirds of the independents' total revenue, and although the revenuerates are low, the operational attractions are high. As I had expected, actual revenue-rates are secrets guarded closely byboth sides; but even if such rates could be disclosed, they would not reveal much about the profitability of trooping, which is akind of business one cannot compare with normal airline work. The only possible comparison became apparent to me when aTransair man, asked whether his firm's lack of trooping experi- ence would be a handicap, said: "What's so different abouttroops and their families? They haven't got two heads." But in every other way trooping differs from the commercial cut andthrust of normal airline work. Take, for example, Transair's new operation ("West Med," asit is called). On about fifteen days of this month their coaches will take aboard at the Hendon air trooping centre a full Viscountload of 58 Servicemen (mostly sailors), their wives and children and baggage—all assembled and prepared—and will fly themfrom London Airport to Malta via Nice. The aeroplane will also be filled on the return flight. Similarly, on five days, there willbe Army, R.N. and R.A.F. movements to Gibraltar via a refuelling stop at Bordeaux or Toulouse. On six days there will be Armyand R.A.F. movements to Idris (Libya) via Malta; and on four other days there will be Army and R.A.F. flights to Benina (Libya),also via Malta. No advertising costs, no sales effort, no load-factor problems, no peaks, no no-shows, no cancellations—just theoperational dream of a regular, round-the-year service with every seat filled.Transair's West Med contract extends for the usual trooping period of one year, with the customary (and invariably exercised)option of a further year. Of course, this is not much to plan ahead on, but it is as much as any independent can reasonably expectin these present times of uncertainty in the domestic and inter- national political scene. Transair will, at the rate of 25 to 35 trooping flights a monthduring the next two years, get about 2,000 hours a year out of each Viscount: they have hopes—if their applications now beforethe Air Transport Advisory Council are approved—of adding a further 400 hours per year per aircraft on seasonal inclusive-toursto such resorts as Tangier, Sicily and Nice. They may perhaps find a further 100 hours per aircraft on other work, thus producingan annual utilization of 2,500 hr. Transair reckon that their two present Viscounts, at 5,000 hours a year together, will do thework of 20,000 DC-3 hours, which is very nearly what their fleet of ten DC-3s actually achieve. Thus one Viscount 804 is worthnearly five DC-3s in earning power, or—put another way—a revenue-hour in a Viscount is worth five in a DC-3. I askedwhether the trooping revenue per hour would therefore be five times higher. The answer was no. The purchase of a third Viscount 804 is now confirmed—fordelivery next April—suggesting considerable expansions in Trans- air's commercial business or, more likely, the taking over of certainDC-3 work. Though Transair, with a payroll of about 500, may be one ofthe smaller independent stars, they are certainly one of the brightest. They may have had a certain amount of luck in becom-ing Britain's first independent Viscount operator, but this does not diminish the hardness of the fight that has secured them asmall place in history. Big changes are afoot in the independent scene—in equipment, operations and mergers: and becauseTransair typify the best independent spirit, it seems appropriate that they should have been the first harbinger of long-soughtchanges. Mr. 6. H. Freeman, Transair's chairman, with his senior crews during a refuelling stop at Toulouse. From left to right: Chief Radio Officer W. Florey, Capt. A. Lawson, Capt. C. Coates, Capt. G. Thomas, and Transair's chief pilot, Capt. S. Websper. (Right) Three stewardesses will be carried on trooping flights. The four girls on the first proving flight were (I. and r. below) June Backshall and Pamela Burden, and (I. and r. above) Josephine Johnson and Barbara Lawry.
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