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Aviation History
1960
1960 - 3106.PDF
1022 FLIGHT, 30 December 1960 Correspondence The Editor of "Flight" is not necessarily in agreement with the views expressed by correspondents in these columns. Names and addresses oj writers, not for publication in detail, must in all cases accompany letters. Difficulties of the IndependentsI AM writing about the article in your issue of December 9,page 930, headed "Difficulties of the 'Non-BIATAs.'" The statement in that article about Continental Air Transport attri-buted to the managing director, Capt Ian McLean, is, I feel, a slight on the engineering department of Continental Air Trans-port, for the following reasons [Capt McLean was reported to have said that the company had failed because of unserviceableaircraft]: — During the six-month period April-October 1960 that I waschief engineer, the Vikings (of which we had a maximum of four operational) flew a total of 2,700hr. Viking 'KN did not fly afterJanuary, due to its Check 4 and the incorporation of Mod. 1942. These were not completed owing to the lack of spares; forexample, powerplants were built up (on two occasions from part- life engines), installed and then removed to fit other aircraft.Furthermore, Check 4s became due on two aircraft towards the end of the summer, and one was carried out during May, Juneand July. The reason this took so long was once again lack of spares and the fact that once an aircraft became u/s for a majorcheck we used it as a Christmas tree to keep the other aircraft flying. The maximum number of tradesmen which I was allowed (andthis was never constant, due to holidays, sickness, etc.) was six engine fitters and three riggers, plus, for the last month, oneelectrician. Radio was covered by a licensed engineer plus one, and I had an assistant licensed engineer. With these men wegave 24hr service on the tarmac, completed daily pre-flight and between-flight inspections, and did 31 Check Is and five Check 2sas well as the rectification of flight defects. Of the DC-4s, G-APCW came to Continental Air Transport inMay, and between then and October flew more than l,000hr. DC-4 G-APID was due for its Check 4 and went to Hong Kongin May for this work and a major rework, and was returned in August. When I joined Continental in April they did not have anyorganization on the engineering side, and not until June was any reasonable accommodation provided for stores, workshops, etc.All work carried out by our engineers was done in the open, often under atrocious conditions of wind, rain and mud, and withinadequate equipment. Many spares, even to major items such as a propeller and anengine, had to be obtained under the "old pals' act" from other operators. I would like to make it known that had it not beenfor the friendly assistance of other operators and the absolute maximum assistance and advice of the local ARB surveyor, MrG. C. Ames, Continental might have come to a grinding halt much earlier. From the engineering side I can honestly say that we never letthe company down in any shape, manner or form. You may think that I am grinding an axe, but I feel you must hear a bit aboutthe other side, even if it is only to do with six fitters and three riggers. One last word: the aircraft were on every occasion properlymaintained and serviceable according to the regulations. Nicosia Airport, Cyprus P. S. HARDY Renfrew Replacement CONGRATULATIONS on the issue of Flight (December 9)^ dealing with Airports and Equipment, and in particular on M. J. Hardy's excellent article "Can we make our airports pay?" I am surprised, however, that the recent decision by theMinister of Aviation to substitute Abbotsinch for Renfrew, when the latter is closed in 1963, has not aroused some comment eitherin Mr Hardy's article or in any recent issue of Flight. The fact that some £3m is likely to be spent on developing a new airportwhich will inevitably be run at a loss surely justifies some explora- tion into the reasons given for the choice of Abbotsinch beingmade the alternative to Prestwick. Only one argument in favour of Abbotsinch has been putforward, and that in the form of an objection to Prestwick. It is said that Prestwick is too far from Glasgow, but surely it isbecoming more and more evident that distance should not be measured in miles but by the time of the fastest regular transport.This being accepted, the point in favour of Abbotsinch disappears when it is known that a rail service, similar to that providedbetween Gatwick and London, can bring Prestwick within 35 minutes of Glasgow city centre. A further reduction in total time can be made if consideration is taken of five minutes' less Hying time to Prestwick from points south of Glasgow. Even in thequietest road traffic conditions, Glasgow city centre to Abbotsinch takes some 25 minutes and the nearest railway line is two milesaway. It appears therefore that a new civil airport is to be developed on the doubtful strength of a few minutes' travellingtime. Renfrew's closure is necessary because of its incapacity toexpand due to the surrounding built-up area and also because of its already somewhat marginal operating conditions brought aboutby a main runway length of only 5,789ft, obstructed approaches, frequent cross-winds on its main runway and, of course, theall-too-persistent Clyde Valley fog. One would assume, there- fore, that Renfrew's replacement would be chosen to remove theabove-mentioned shortcomings. The fact is that Abbotsinch is less than two miles from Renfrew and therefore subject to thesame weather conditions, including fog. The runway bearing is also similar to Renfrew's main runway so the cross-wind hazardremains. At one end of the Abbotsinch runway there is a built-up area and the other end plunges into a marsh. Runway extensionis only possible towards the built-up area and then only to a maximum which brings the total length to under 700ft more thanthat of the main runway at Renfrew. One is inclined to question the point of transferring operations at all. It is now interesting to note the possibilities of Prestwick havingbeen chosen as Renfrew's replacement. Examining Prestwick as it will be when current development contracts are completed, wefind an airport with runways catering for the largest aircraft and presenting no crosswind problem. Clear approaches, the unrivalledfog-free weather record and a large modern terminal building with an adjacent railway will offer an opportunity to both opera-tors and travellers alike to avail themselves of what could be the most comprehensive and convenient travel centre in the UnitedKingdom. Prestwick already has six international airlines pro- viding passenger and freight services to all points of the globe,and it is already evident that although in the past transit traffic has contributed the largest percentage of passengers, terminaltraffic is quickly expanding and terminal figures have already overtaken transit figures. It seems therefore that a figure, variously estimated at up to£3m, is to be spent on a new civil airport, offering little betterment, if any, over that which it is designed to replace. The alternativewas to spend an estimated maximum of one-tenth of that figure on additions to the new Prestwick terminal building and to pro-vide travellers and operators with a reliable and efficient air ter- minal. There is also the distinct possibility that at least one airportin Great Britain would be financially self-supporting. Prestwick, Ayrshire ROBERT A. WATT Treasure Hunt WE are attempting to trace No 57 Sqn silver which may havebeen displaced in the passage of time. The amount of silver held by the squadron is extremely limited and as the unit has beenin service for a total of almost 25 years we feel that more may have existed at one time or another. The squadron was formed in 1916 and served in France untildisbanded in 1919. Reformed in 1931 at Netheravon, it was based at Coningsby, Cottesmore, East Kirby, Feltwell, Lindholme,Hemswell, Waddington and Scampton, at various times, until disbanded at Coningsby in 1957. Currently the squadron is servingat Honington, having been reformed in 1959. May I, through your publication, appeal to your readers, for anyinformation on the whereabouts of No 57 Sqn silver. A. G. ELTRIDGE, Fit Lt RAF Honington, Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk Might it have been Mavis? T WAS appalled to see in Roger Bacon's column "Straight andA Level" references to a conversation between an air corre- spondent and my colleague "Washers." As you know, "Washers"is one of the best, having graduated from the Fleet Street School for Public Relations Officers early in '59. He wears the lapelbadge of a "Senior Bore" and is the most prolific writer of hand-outs in the business. You will recall his masterpiece on the Speedmaster—which,incidentally, gave Angus Swoon and his colleagues some hint of performance (". . . it can fly faster and more steadily than aThor . . .")—and his build-up of our chairman, Lord Dribblepuss, when the latter tried (abortively, unhappily) to sell the Scruggs"Hamburger" fighter-bomber to the Germans. I can only think that in managing to report the conversationbetween "Washers" and Swoon as accurately as he did, Roger Bacon had our office in Pell Mell "bugged." (Or it may havebeen Mavis.) Whether Swoon will be writing to you, I can't say. I hopehe does. All I want to make clear—and I hope you will publish this letter—is that Scruggs Aircraft, Government subsidy or noGovernment subsidy, is anxious to see that Swoon doesn't. Scruggs Aircraft Ltd, TRUGLIG RETRAC London SW
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