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Aviation History
1961
1961 - 0446.PDF
454 FLIGHT, 6 April 1961 AIR COMMERCE ... DOGS IN BEA'S MANGER IN the past it has usually been BEA's policy to route services fromthe provinces to the Continent through London, until sufficient traffic has been built up to justify a direct service. It is an obviouslysensible interim arrangement to specify an optional stop at London; an example is the Manchester - Milan route. According to BEA, results on this particular service have beendisappointing since it was started in 1955—largely due, BEA told the Air Transport Licensing Board at a recent hearing, to the factthat it has not been very well supported by the Manchester public. The corporation was asking the Board if it could add Birminghamas an optional intermediate traffic stop. The application was being objected to by both Cunard Eagle and by British United Airways. This was the first clash between a corporation and independentsbefore the Board, and it took place at the third hearing, on March 22. Mr Henry Marking submitted that the Manchester-Milan service had to be put on an economic footing; the way to do this, and at the same time to give Birmingham a direct service toMilan (there being a motor industry affinity between the two cities), was to include an optional stop at Birmingham. Anticipating theobjections of Cunard Eagle and British United, Mr Marking said: "Here we have two companies, two leading so-called independentoperators, who like to think of themselves as champions of com- petition," objecting to the proposed service. Neither had appliedfor the route, yet both wished to deny Birmingham a direct service and to deny Manchester the benefit of larger and faster aircraft(also being applied for by BEA was the right to introduce Comets, Vanguards and Tridents on the route). "I think I can see," saidMr Marking, "two little dogs peeping over the top of the manger." What these independents wanted, he said, was not competitionbut protection. BEA's application was then supported by Mr Jackson of the Birmingham Corporation. Mr K. R. Sangster, recording British United's objection, said it was an observation rather than an objection. He thought that if more capacity was going to be provided "we contend it would be more in the interests of the travelling public if the traffic were routed via Gatwick rather than Heathrow." The chairman asked whether that was all he wanted to say and Mr Sangster replied that it was. Mr Ashton-Hill for Cunard Eagle said he was a little amused tohear Mr Marking saying that the independents were not seeking competition but protection. "I hope," he observed, "that he willstill be of the same frame of mind when our applications to operate European services come up." Eagle's objection to the BEA application was that it did not wantits position undermined by BEA pending hearings into the European services for which Eagle had applied. To a remark by Just installed at International Aeradio's air traffic control school at Southall, Middlesex, is this Redifon surveillance-radar training equip- ment. Two courses are offered, one of seven weeks ab initio, and one of two weeks as a refresher. All UK radar controllers are now required to be licensed, which is the reason for this theoretical training Switched on for the first time as dusk fell one evening just before Easter was Luton Airport's new GEC approach and lighting system (see "Luton Lights Up" below). Note the 12 visual glide-path indicators set in two lines at the beginning and end of the touchdown zone Mr Jackson of the Birmingham Corporation that Cunard Eaglehad been approved in 1955 for services from Birmingham which had never been taken up, Mr Ashton-Hill replied that this wasgoing back into history; Mr Jackson was not as familiar as the independents were with the problems existing before the newlicensing Act. LUTON LIGHTS UP /CONSENSUS of opinion of visitors to Luton who recentlyV—' sampled the new runway lighting from the air was that the borough had done a very good job. It was a clear night, and atmaximum intensity the approach, threshold and runway lights were of dazzling brightness. The lighting is unambiguous, with thepossible minor exception of the turn-off onto the taxiway centre line, and includes a full visual glide-path pattern of 12 VGPls,similar to that installed at London Airport. With its new 5,532ft runway, full lighting, and plans for a newterminal building with Customs and immigration facilities, Luton is making a determined effort to become the major airport in thenorth London area. Space has been set aside for additional hangars, and the 3,600ft north-south grass strip—now being extended to5,000ft—may eventually become another concrete runway. Luton is 30 miles from London, but only two miles from the Ml motorwayserving the northern outskirts. Though commercial charter and scheduled services are limited tothose of three operators—Derby Aviation, BKS and Autair—on total movements (see table on opposite page) Luton can claim to beBritain's eighth busiest airport. It is KLM's No 1 alternate to London. Installation of the GEC lighting was undertaken over lastautumn and winter by C. Maurice Contractors Ltd, under the direction of the borough engineer, Mr F. Oliver. It comprises greentaxiway lights, elevated high-intensity runway lights, green thres- hold lights, and high-intensity uni-directional and red omni-directional approach lights. The centre line extends 1,000ft from the threshold and has one lOOft-wide crossbar—some pilots mightlike to see this increased, particularly when an approach aid is installed. Much trouble has been taken to minimize damage should anaircraft leave the runway. The elevated lights are on frangible stalks projecting from concrete blocks sunk 15in below groundlevel, and the VGPIs, which give a 3° glidepath, have glassfibre casings. To give approach clearance, the west threshold is displaced300ft down the runway and the east, 700ft. A new beacon, flashing a green "LT," completes the installation; a photograph of it beinglowered into place by a Helicopter Services Agusta Bell 47G appeared in Flight last week. Mr BAMBERG ON PRIVATE ENTERPRISE THE case for a bigger independent-airline share of British airtransport was the subject of a recent lecture by Mr HaroldBamberg, chairman and managing director of Cunard Eagle Airways. Entitled Additional Enterprise in British Air Transport, itwas presented to the Society of Licensed Aircraft Engineers at the Royal Institution of Naval Architects in London. Air transport, said Mr Bamberg, was the only British exporttrade restricted in effect to a single trader. It would surprise every- one if the British Motor Corporation were to ask for a similar
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