FlightGlobal.com
Home
Premium
Archive
Video
Images
Forum
Atlas
Blogs
Jobs
Shop
RSS
Email Newsletters
You are in:
Home
Aviation History
1959
1959 - 1493.PDF
728 FLIGHT A European turboprop comparison is pro- vided by these fine in flight powerplant studies of (left) the Vickers Vanguard and (right) the 11-18. The former are Rolls- Royce Tynes of 5,525 e.h.p.; the latter Kuznetsov N.K.4s, each producing 4,000 e.h.p. AIR COMMERCE . , i POLITICS AT THE AIRPORT '"T'HIS book," begins the preface to Power at the Top* by•*• Cliye Jenkins, "is written from the committed viewpoint that economic power must belong to the community and be removedfrom the tiny groups that still possess it." This is, in fact, "a critical survey of the nationalized industries,"and the two chapters concerned with B.O.A.C. and B.E.A.— about 20 per cent of the book—will be of most interest to theBritish air transport industry. Every sentence provides a measure of the influence which party politics have upon Britain's mostdynamic service industry. Air. Jenkins' voice comes, politically speaking, from the farLeft. It was he who gave evidence, as National Officer of the Association of Supervisory Staffs, Executives and Technicians, onbehalf of the trade union side of the N.J.C. at last year's inquiry into the labour dispute which grounded B.O.A.C. His "ability toact responsibly" was questioned by the tribunal. But his book is not irresponsible; it is a report by a disillusionedif undiscouraged Socialist on an industry which, it apparently seems to him, is now run entirely by, and for the benefit of,self-interested upper-class Tory capitalists. He examines in extraordinary detail the business interests of themen in power, hinting if not proving how in many instances these interests interlock. His copy of the Directory of Directors must have become very dog-eared as a result of his researches. Theinterests of Sir Gerard d'Erlanger, B.O.A.C. chairman—whose person now seems to epitomize all that the airport workers are"against"—is scrutinized in minute detail. But Lord Douglas, chairman of B.E.A., is hardly mentioned—not surprisingly, per-haps, to those who respect the way he has preserved industrial peace in B.E.A. The Minister of Transport, Mr. Harold Watkinson, is lam-basted primarily for allowing the private-enterprise independents to expand. (Curiously, Mr. Jenkins overlooks the historic factthat it was a Socialist Minister, Lord Pakenham, who ten years ago laid the foundation for independent expansion.) Power at the Top seems effective inasmuch as it is apparentlya carefully documented report, and not just a doctrinaire political harangue; but the reporting is selective, and sometimes absurdlyirrelevant (". . . Another interest of Sir Gerard d'Erlanger is in the John Mackintosh & Sons Ltd., toffee and chocolate manu-facturing company . . ."). Yet it does leave one wondering: Just how do some Top People justify their positions? Of course, nomention is made of the trade-union intrigues which must take their share of the responsibility for the industrial malaise inBritish air transport, in B.O.A.C. in particular. The book would have been much more effective if Mr. Jenkins had acknowledgedand commented upon this frequently criticized fact. What we need now, obviously, is a book by Sir Gerard d'Erlanger entitledPower at the Bottom. j. M. R. *MacGibbon & Kee, London, 21s. ~~ BREVITIES Mr. J. W. Booth has been re-appointed a part-time Board member of B.O.A.C. until April 30, 1962. * * * A memorial service to the crew members of the Air CharterSuper Trader G-AGRH was held in St. Clement Danes Church, London, on May 13. * * * Mr. J. M. van der Ploeg, a former director of K.L.M. who resigned recently, is to be appointed adviser to David Baker of Capital Airlines, according to Dutch newspaper reports. * * * T.W.A. have concluded interline agreements with P. and O. and the Orient Steam Navigation Co. Return-ticket discounts will be available for journeys made one way by sea and the other by air; bookings can be placed with any of the three companies. * * * T.A.A. inaugurated their first Friendship service on May 1between Canberra, Melbourne and Tasmania. Except for the first aircraft to be delivered, the fleet will have fin, rudder, wing-tips, spinners, lettering and emblems painted in fluorescent orange. * * * The title "Aer Lingus—Irish Air Lines," rather than "Aerlinte" is now being favoured for sales and publicity purposes in Europe and North America. Aircraft carry the words "Irish Air Lines" in large letters on the white top of the fuselage. On the Aer Lingus fleet the words "Irish Air Lines" are displayed, but less pro- minently than "Aer Lingus." * * * It is expected that an Australian-Canadian air agreement,replacing one signed in 1946, will be signed before the end of this year. Delegations from the two countries have been meetingin Melbourne—and will meet again soon, possibly in Canada— following a dispute over C.P.A.L.'s service to Australia, which theAustralian Department of Civil Aviation had insisted should be halved to become fortnightly. * * * The Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation, Mr. HaroldWatkinson, is considering setting up a reviewing body to consider the representations made by Capt. Thain about the accident, atMunich, to the Elizabethan of which he was captain. Precise terms of reference are under consideration, but the body willprobably comprise Queen's Counsel, a member with appropriate scientific qualifications and another with flying experience. Mean-while the Minister is waiting to know what action the German authorities propose to take. Maiquetia International Airport, Venezuela, is to have its main runway extended from 7,015 to 8,425ft within the next six months. * * *All Iraqi airports are to be closed between 7 p.m. and 5 a.m. "for public security reasons."* * * The Republic of Guinea became the 74th member-State ofI.C.A.O. last month. * * *The sixth Friendship for Aer Lingus (EI-AKF) has arrived in Dublin. The seventh and last was due last Friday, May 15.* * * A fourth Argonaut is to be acquired by Overseas Aviation laterthis month. Recent charters have been made to Tokio, Green- land, continental Europe and Tenerife.* * * Synthetic flying training equipment for Aerolineas ArgentinasComet 4s will be supplied by Air Trainers Link. It includes the type AT. 100 G.P. four-engine trainer and the contract is worth$150,000. * * * K.L.M.'s first Lockheed Electra—the "international" versionwith a full navigator's station and 900 U.S. gal extra fuel—has been rolled out at Burbank. Four aircraft will be delivered thisyear. * * * ' Pakistan International have entered a pool agreement withIndian Airlines for the operation of Karachi - Delhi, Karachi - Bombay and Calcutta - Chittagong services. P.I.A. is operatingrespectively two, four and four flights weekly and I.A.C. four, three and three. Under the agreement P.I.A. can operate oneadditional flight weekly to Delhi if they wish to do so. * * *A Viscount of Capital Airlines, carrying 27 passengers and with a crew of four, crashed near Baltimore on May 13. There wereno survivors. The airline suffered another fatal accident on the same day, when a Constellation flying from Pittsburgh to Atlantacrashed on landing at Charleston, West Virginia. Of the 36 passengers and five crew, two persons were killed and 13 injured. * * * Tradair is reported to be planning a regular service between Southend and Eelde, near Groningen in Northern Holland. The company's Vikings are already doing inclusive-tour business und:r charter to Dutch organizations. Other services between the U.K. and Holland are contemplated by Martins Air Charter (Rotterdam - Southend) and Don Everall (Birmingham - Coventry - Schipho:X
Sign up to
Flight Digital Magazine
Flight Print Magazine
Airline Business Magazine
E-newsletters
RSS
Events
