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Aviation History
1959
1959 - 1880.PDF
21 August 1959 61 put forward the main proposal for the preparation of a 15-yearforecast of major trends and developments in international civil aviation, "We think," said Mr. Custance, "that it is up to Govern-ments to promote, somehow, a close co-ordination, at a much earlier stage than we have been able to do in the case of jets,between governments, airport authorities, airlines and aircraft manufacturers." This argument did not receive universal acceptance, and wasopposed by the U.S. delegation on the grounds that formal stan- dards for, say, field length, noise, and other design requirements,could put an unwelcome brake on development. But, put forward as a resolution on behalf also of Australia, Belgium, Denmark andGermany, the proposal was accepted for an I.C.A.O. Council study "into the prospects of development of supersonic civil air-craft and their availability for commercial introduction within the period ending about 1975." The Council are to present theirreport by September 30, 1960. Other recommendations of the Assembly concerned an inves-tigation into joint financing of jet aircraft facilities, the reporting of deficient air navigation facilities, the need for better civil/military co-operation in the control of airspace, the provision of adequate aerodromes (and aircraft suitable for existing aero-dromes), and improvements in facilitation at national boundaries. The 21 member states elected to serve on die I.C.A.O. Councilare: Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, Denmark, France, Federal Republic of Germany, Guatemala, India, Italy, Japan,Lebanon, Netherlands, Philippines, Portugal, Spain, South Africa, United Arab Republic, United Kingdom, United States andVenezuela. Mr. Walter Binaghi of Argentina was unanimously elected as Council president, for a second three-year term. In the report of the retiring Council to the Assembly, Mr.Binaghi made the following points about the state of world air transport in 1958: (a) Airline traffic in 1958 increased by only5.2 per cent, (b) Because U.S. traffic represents 57 per cent of the world total, poor U.S. results heavily influenced the world average;U.S. international traffic increased by only 4 per cent, domestic traffic not at all. (c) On the North Atlantic routes, the introductionof economy class produced a traffic increase of 23 per cent. "This seems to be indicative of the traffic increases that could be broughtabout by lower fares." (d) Average load factor dropped in 1958 to 56.4 per cent v. 59.3 per cent in 1957 and 57.5 per cent in 1956. SHOTGUNS IN HONOLULU ""THE annual I.A.T.A. traffic conference, to be held in Honolulu•*• at the Royal Hawaiian Hotel for three weeks beginning on September 22, will be presided over by Mr. W. Gordon Wood,vice-president, T.C.A. The conference will recommend to governments fares and rates on international services as fromApril 1, 1960. Representatives of 89 member airlines will attend. Will the jet fare differential, agreed for 1959-60 after the mostcontentious discussion, be preserved for 1960-61? No less con- tentious, however, will be the proposal by the two British Cor-porations to extend economy-class service to Europe and to the Far East, Australia and Africa. B.E.A. want to replace tourist-classin Europe with a new class of service, with reduced frills, priced at about 15 per cent below existing tourist levels. B.O.A.C. aredetermined to introduce economy-class on its routes to Asia, Africa and Australia, and are understood to have advised I.A.T.A.members of their determination. A memorandum from B.O.A.C. published in the recent SelectCommittee's report shows the fare levels considered economic by the Corporation. Changes would be: De Luxe (N. Atlantic), up10 per cent; first class: (N. Atl.), down 6 per cent, (Africa and Far E.), up 16 per cent, (Australia), up 28 per cent; economy class:(N. Atl.), up 12 per cent. It is not known what level of general economy fare B.O.A.C. proposes; not less than 15-20 per centbelow existing tourist-class can be expected. Strongly influencing the I.A.T.A. conference's deliberationswill be the U.K. Government's recent statement of policy (by the Minister of Transport) that it expects I.A.T.A. to approve theCorporations' proposals for the extension of economy class ser- vice—and that it will, if necessary, support the Corporations tothe extent of "reviewing" fares on British overseas colonial cabot- age routes (see Momentous Words, Flight, August 14). Though I.A.T.A. is well accustomed to such government"interference" by the American C.A.B. (exerted through the American I.A.T.A. carriers), this is the first time that a I.A.T.A.traffic conference has approached a meeting with the U.K. government publicly committed to support its carriers on afundamental issue. This new development in U.K. Government policy could well be traced directly to the "V.L.F." challenge ofEagle, Airwork and Hunting-Clan. BREVITIES B.E.A. have increased their order for six Comet 4Bs to seven.Deliveries of the first 4Bs will be in October, two months ahead of the schedule (see page 57 of this issue). * * * B.O.A.C. is entering a spares combine of airlines for pooling Boeing 707 spares at 19 airports. B.O.A.C. stocks have to be held at only Over 30,000 F.27 Friendship flying hours have now been accumu-lated. T.A.A. are adding to them at the rate of 11.5 hours per day per aircraft. * * * K.L.M. have increased their order for DC-8s from eight to 12, thefirst of which is due to be delivered next January. The four additional aircraft and last of the eight will be equipped with JT3D turbofanengines. * * *Capt E. C. Miles, a senior pilot with B.O.A.C., has been appointed as a council-member of the Air Registration Board in place of Capt. T. H.Farnsworth, whose term expired on July 31. Capt. Miles is deputy president of I.F.A.L.P.A. * * * The chairman of Air India, Mr. J. R. D. Tata, said in Seattle recentlythat his company expected to decide before September which type of medium-range turbine transport it would buy. He was visiting Seattleto fly in a Boeing 707-320 of the type ordered for long-range operations. * * * A graduate course in the study of flight transportation at the Massa-chusetts Institute of Technology is to be awarded annually under the H. N. Slater Fellowship. It will be made on a competitive basis, with^refcrence given to aeronautical engineers engaged in "flight transporta- tion or in a related activity." The fellowship carries a stipend of $4,000. * * * D.H. are to receive the U.S. engineering Elmer A. Sperry award for"vision, courage and skill displayed in conceiving, developing and pro- ducing the world's first jet-powered passenger transport—the Comet."The Company have also received (at the Fishmongers Hall in London on July 29) the Viva Shield and Gold Medal of the Worshipful Companyof Carmen. Fifth pod on Qontas' 707 s provides the econo- mic answer to the high cost of engine spares- holdings down the line B.A.L.P.A. have a new head office near London Airport. The addressis 81 New Road, Harlington, Middlesex, and the telephone number is Hayes 3442/3. * * * Speaking in Los Angeles recently, Mr. Peter Masefield, managingdirector of Bristol Aircraft, proposed a joint U.S.-U.K. development and production programme for supersonic transports. * * * North-South Airlines recently started operations with a weeklyservice between Yeadon and Hum. Heron services are also operated from Yeadon to Exeter and to Sandown, I.o.W. * * * In its last accounting period B.O.A.C. achieved an average of 11 hr13 min utilization per aircraft per day with its DC-7Cs—the first Corporation aircraft to exceed 11 hr. * * * There are to be four military projects of the Japanese YS-11 twinDart transport. Projected civil variants are the YS-31 with two Dart RDa. 7/2s, the YS-12 with two Dart RDa.lOs and the YS-12-4 withfour RDa. 10s. * * * Seven Seas Airlines of New York City have bought two DC-4s and four spare engines from Twentieth Century Aircraft. The price paid was $560,000 and the aircraft will be operated from Schiphol. The sale was transacted through Aircraft Exchange. * * * Vnukovo Airport, Moscow, is to have a new passenger building fordomestic services. It will be completed by the middle of next year. New take-oft runways and a "vast passenger hall" will be erected by1968. Meanwhile, a new Moscow airport at Sheremetyevo has been opened. * * * A Viscount 810 of Pakistan International Airlines crashed on a train-ing flight at Karachi on August 14, killing two pilots and seriously injuring a third. The accident is reported to have occurred while theaircraft was climbing away after touch-down. * * * Overhaul life of the Comet 4's Rolls-Royce Avon RA.29 engines has been approved at 1,300 hr, with extensions to 1,600 hr on a trial basis. In 49,000 engine hours flown by B.O.A.C. in nine months, only four unscheduled engine removals were "within the responsibility of Rolls- Royce." * * * Pan American's order for 12 Super Hercules is conditional on "con-tinued development support by the Government for the engine, as well as development support for the airframe." Similarly, Slick's order forsix depends upon Lockheed receiving military orders for at least ten Super Hercules.
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