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Aviation History
1961
1961 - 0357.PDF
FLIGHT, 23 March 1961 365 Private and Executive Flying: Constructive ideas and useful facts are once more the backbone of "Flight's" annual special feature devoted to light aviation in Britain. Ideas on effective co-operation between the Ministry of Aviation and those outside, emergency techniques for bad-weather flying, and aspects of business aviation are put forward; and relevant facts are given on aircraft available and in prospect, on clubs and on costs of private and business flying. Both on the aircraft market- fifty available types are illustrated—and in this special section of "Flight", there should be something for everybody PRIVATE FLYING'S PROBLEMS IT would be optimistic to expect that 16 people gathered around aconference table could solve all the problems facing Britishprivate, club and business flying today. If the group had no power of action, and if its members had different ideas on what the problems were—let alone on how to try to solve them—one might dismiss the whole notion as supremely impracticable. No longer new is the ironic definition of the camel as "a horse designed by a committee." But today a certain committee is designing the shape of private flying in Britain for the next ten years. Let us take a look and find out what sort of animal these gentlemen have in mind. The committee was born of mistrust out of failure to communi- cate. Private and club pilots' antagonism towards the Ministry of Transport and Civil Aviation, as it then was, reached a peak at about the time of the closure of Croydon Airport in 1958. Private flying, it was felt, was the neglected Cinderella, with the airlines and the RAF as the ugly, but powerful, sisters. The Ministry just did not understand and, the cynics added, did not wish to do so. This was partly, but not wholly, true. Within the Ministry, light aviation had its sincere friends, who did what they could up to the ceiling of their own influence. But there was no indication that the needs of private and club flying were of the slightest relevance at the policy-making levels. The trouble, it seemed, was caused not by hostility, but simply by ignorance. The need for closer communication with the light-aircraft move- ment became recognized at this time within the Ministry, with a Most recent meeting of the Standing Joint Committee on Private and Club Flying and Gliding was held at the Ministry of Aviation on February 28. In this "Flight" photograph, the first to be published of the committee in session, are (clockwise around the table from the chairman, beneath clock): Geoffrey Rippon, Parliamentary Secretary, Ministry of Aviation; L. C. Nash, Aviation Safety and General Division, MoA (committee secretary); Miss E. V. Crux, MoA shorthand writer; Peter G. Masefield, Popular Flying Association; Philip A. Wills, British Gliding Association; Mrs Ann Welch, British Gliding Association; G. H. M. Miles, Association of British Aero Clubs; J. T. Penwarden, W. F. Rimmer and J. L Delsford, representing the Director-General of Navigational Services, MoA; W. E. B. Griffiths, Aviation Safety Directorate, MoA; N. Craig, Air Division, MoA; B. E. Robson, Air Ministry; G. H. Gillings, Aerodromes Planning Division, MoA; G. F. Gainsborough, Aerodromes Planning Division, MoA; S. R. Walton, Aviation Safety and General Division, MoA; and R. R. Goodison, Under-Secretary, Aviation Safety and General Division, MoA. Mr Goodison is the Ministry Under-Secretary with general responsibility for private flying and gliding. Not all persons present are members of the committee, and not all members of the committee were present (see text)
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