FlightGlobal.com
Home
Premium
Archive
Video
Images
Forum
Atlas
Blogs
Jobs
Shop
RSS
Email Newsletters
You are in:
Home
Aviation History
1957
1957 - 1883.PDF
...... "Flight" photographs At the British Airline Pilots Association annual cocktail party at Londonderry House on December 10 were (I. to r.) Mr. Harold Watkinson, Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation, with Mr. G. d'Erlanger, and Sir George Cribbet, chairman and deputy chairman of B.O.A.C.; Capt. A. S. M. Rendall, B.O.A.C., and Mr. P. Masefield, managing director, Bristol Aircraft Ltd.; Mr. R. N. Jennens, British Aviation Insurance, and Mr. G. H. Freeman, chairman of Transair; and Sir Robert Perkins, Mr. D. Follows and Mr. R. T. Merrifield, respectively vice-president, general secretary and chairman of B.A.L.P.A. Out of discussions came agreement on several significant points.Ten airlines, for example, decided upon a common kerosine-type fuel with a freezing-point of -50 deg C. This agreement doesnot constitute an international standard, but was formulated so that economies in storage and supply could be made; it does notaffect carriers wishing to use JP4 or other types of fuel. More data on noise levels were demanded, particularly on penaltiesof weight and power loss that would have to be borne. Operators were interested in the economics of retractable- or fixed-nozzlenoise suppressors, and they were also anxious to encourage the development of a "go/no go" acceleration-sensing instrument fortake-off acceptance. While general problems were being studied, separate committeesmet to discuss navigation aids, communications, meteorology, apron requirement and flight planning. Among the results achievedwere suggestions put forward for a Doppler-fed computer to give the pilot continuous steering and present-position information;and the drafting of new specifications for upper-air charts. The committee discussing jet handling and servicing at airport ter-minals prepared detailed information which will be published by I.A.T.A. The most surprising assumption on which this docu-ment was based is that manoeuvring of turbine-powered aircraft on the apron should be carried out under the aeroplane's own power—a suggestion that, in conjunction with proposals such as those of American Airlines for their £5m terminal at Idlewild, is likelyto cause more than a little inconvenience in the passenger lounge. BERMUDAN EAGLEE AGLE AIRWAYS (BERMUDA) have been authorized by theBermudan Government to fly passengers and freight on scheduled services between Bermuda and New York and Montreal.It is not yet clear whether final C.A.B. authorization has been obtained, but the company announces that once-daily services fromNew York to Bermuda will begin on May 1 next year. The com- pany will trade under the name of Eagle International, and theagents in the United Kingdom will be Eagle Airways. After some speculation about the equipment that would be used—it had been suggested that Viscounts relinquished by Capital might be chosen—Eagle say that DC-6Bs or Super Constellationsare being considered, although the company is also studying the economics of the Britannia and the Comet 4B. Competition on theroute will come from Pan American DC-6Bs and 7Cs, Eastern's Constellations (eventually Electras) and B.O.A.C.'s Viscounts. Theeventual frequency of Eagle's services could be up to 28 flights a week. LUFTHANSA PUSHES FORWARD TUFTHANSA'S latest accounts for 1956 cover the first full year-"—' of operation and tell a tale of booming growth. Traffic revenue reached Dm81 million (£7m), over three times the 1955 figure.Route network also trebled, rising to 27,000 miles. The effects of inflation—average salaries rose by 15 per centand hourly wages by 10 per cent—were counterbalanced by a reduction in development costs, together with increasing efficiency(average daily utilization increased from 4.5 to 6.0 hours, with Super Constellations exceeding 8 hours). Operating costs fell fromover 50d per C.T.M. to 40d—equivalent to those achieved by B.O.A.C. But load-factor at 46 per cent, although well above36 per cent experienced in 1955, is still insufficient to avoid a deficit of Dml9 million. At present cost and revenue rates, theneed for subsidy will vanish when load-factor climbs to 60 per cent. As the first half of 1957 returned a load-factor of over50 per cent, it appears that Lufthansa should be free of subsidy within the next year or two. BREVITIES IN addition to promoting amalgamations in the aircraft industry,the Government has now announced its desire to see a reduc- tion in the number of independent airlines. Lord Mancroft recentlystated in the Lords that there are at present "too many for the most efficient operation." * * * The British Travel and Holidays Association have recorded anincrease from 240,000 to 246,000 in passenger traffic from the U.S. in 1957. * * * Mr. J. H. Carmichael (chairman of Capital Airlines), Mr.David H. Baker (president) and Mr. R. G. Lochiel (vice-president and treasurer) have visited Great Britain to discuss the possibilityof extending payments on their Viscount fleet. The present arrange- ments are for monthly cash payments over a five-year period. * * * In the new terminal building at Idlewild B.O.A.C. will havethe largest facilities of any foreign airline. * * * Silver City Northern Division will start a new passenger servicebetween Blackpool and Belfast on May 23. Herons will be used, and the service will initially be flown on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. * * * The evacuation of Dutch citizens from Indonesia, ordered bythat country's government, apparently does not apply to specialists employed on contract to organizations such as Garuda IndonesianAirways. * * * Mr. Tom Shand, N.Z. Minister of Civil Aviation, said in Auck-land on December 10 that fatigue in the starboard wing had caused the accident to a Straits Air Freight Express Bristol 170 at Christ-church on November 21. As a result, all Bristol Freighters owned and operated in New Zealand would have the safe life of their wing spars reduced from 10,400 hr to 3,500 hr "as a precautionarymeasure," until the cause of the failure—which took place after 8,000 hr—had been discovered. * * * Over 39,000 student pilot's certificates were issued by the C.A.A.in the first half of 1957. Private pilot's certificates totalled 12,134, commercial pilot's certificates 16,479 and airline transport certifi-cates 2,643. * * * A basic payment of about £157 per week plus two cents permile flown is being offered to American Airlines' pilots flying jet transports. * * * A new Paris air terminal on the Quai d'Orsay is to be startednext year. It has been designed to have a capacity of 10m pas- sengers a year by 1975 and it will be connected with Orly byelectric train service with a journey time of 18 minutes. * * * T.A.P., "in view of technical difficulties which cannot be over-come at present," are operating a chartered K.L.M. Super Con- stellation on the weekly service between Portugal, Angola and Mozambique. * * * The first production Caravelle is expected to fly "in the firstquarter" of 1958. General assembly is complete, and one engine, hydraulic and electric systems, instruments and test equipmenthave been installed. (A pilot's impressions of one of the two prototypes appear on pages 944-45 of this issue.) * * * The flow of second-hand aircraft from North to South Americacontinues. VARIG has purchased PanAm's five remaining CV-240s, together with P.A.A.'s entire stock of CV-240 spares.Another Brazilian carrier, Cruzeiro do Sul, is shortly to take delivery of ten CV-240s from American Airlines.
Sign up to
Flight Digital Magazine
Flight Print Magazine
Airline Business Magazine
E-newsletters
RSS
Events
