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Aviation History
1961
1961 - 1030.PDF
132 FLIGHT, 27 July 1961 AIR COMMERCE . . . MR PATTERSON ON SIZEM R W. A. PATTERSON, president of United Air Lines, has someinteresting things to say about the merger with Capital in the July issue of Mainliner, United's house magazine. The mergerstory began, he says, in June 1960 when Capital representatives approached United to ask whether they would be interested inexploring merger possibilities; United was not the only airline so approached. The final merger plan was approved by United'sboard on April 4, 1961, with only minor changes. Mr Patterson points out that United's business still peaks in the summer andvalleys in the winter, and access to Capital's southern and eastern routes should increase utilization and improve United's traffic. The Viscount, "though not an effective competitor on longerroutes, is a proven and popular airplane," says Mr Patterson, "and our flight people feel we can operate it profitably on short routesegments, at least until we are able to replace it with pure jets such as the Boeing 727. In some cases we will place Jet Mainliners onformer Capital routes at once. We see many opportunities to improve service to most new cities on our enlarged system. "We are frequently asked to comment on the fact that this mergermakes United the nation's largest airline. To us, this is not neces- sarily a blessing, if true. We have watched the rapid growth of ourindustry with a wary eye. Size tends to destroy some of the personal relations with customers which characterized air transportationfrom the start. ... It is our earnest hope that we will retain that old desire to serve each individual passenger. Understandably jubilant, these are the crew members of the Tu-114 which, as recorded last week, uplifted a payload of more than 66,0001b to a height of more than 41,000ft. The flight (which is being claimed as a record in the 30,000kg class) took place on July 12 from Moscow Vnukovo. From left to right: Capt I. Suhowilin, pilot; Ca.pt P. Soldatov; engineer V. Mogdanov; fight engineer S. Petrakov; radio operator A. Anikin; and navigator N. Mosov A MILLION ARGOSY MILES MORE than 5,000hr have now been flown by the Argosysince the prototype's maiden flight in January 1959. All ofthe first batch of ten, built as a £13m private venture, have been delivered or are due for delivery to Riddle Airlines and BEA. Sixof these were used by Armstrong Whitworth on development flying and logged a total of 2,280hr in 1,434 flights involving1,951 landings. The 5,000hr includes development flying on the Argosy C. Mk 1for Transport Command and Riddle's operational flying. Riddle's first three aircraft logged almost as many hours in three months'operational flying as the total flown during development flying. A successful solution has been found to skin-cracking problemsin the tail area (discovered by Riddle). The first prototype has been used for trials at a maximum landing weight of 84,0001b comparedwith the certificated weight of 80,0001b, and an amendment to the type certificate to cover the increase is now awaited. Effort will now be concentrated on development and productiontest flying of Argosy C. Mk Is until the Argosy 200 with the fail- safe box-spar wing and other improvements begins flying in 1963.Riddle has an option on eight more Argosies. TURNHOUSE REOPENS Tj DINBURGH'S Turnhouse Airport is to reopen on August 1ill and East Fortune, used for scheduled services while Turnhouse has been closed, will no longer be used by the airlines. Turnhousewas closed on April 5, since when work has been in hand on runway and apron strengthening, construction of a new taxiway link to themain runway, a new Customs block, and alterations to the terminal. The Customs block will not be ready when the airport reopens,but together with alterations to the terminal it will provide almost double the accommodation for passengers in the main concourse.Visual glide-path indicators have been installed and the existing ILS has been replaced by a new one. To improve the controllers'field of vision, a Dorval-type control tower is being installed on top of the existing tower, and work on the erection of this "glasshouse"is expected to start shortly after Turnhouse reopens. The car park has been greatly enlarged to provide accommodation for 250 cars.Total cost of Turnhouse's modernization is about £200,000. FALCON AIRWAYS v THE MINISTRY NEVER has the Ministry of Aviation referred in public to thesafety standards of a particular airline operator. The Mini-stry statement issued on July 18 sets a precedent:— "Falcon Airways Limited yesterday made a further request to theMinistry for permission under Article 68 of the Air Navigation Order, 1960, to use an Austrian registered Constellation aircraft, OE-IFA,for flights from Gatwick for inclusive tours during the coming weekend. The Ministry received a similar request for the use of OE-IFA onFriday last, July 14, for flights from Gatwick last weekend. "Falcon Airways have no aircraft available. Their ConstellationG-AMUP is undergoing modification for the installation of fire protec- tion in accordance with the Air Registration Board's requirements firstnotified to them in January 1961. Their Constellation G-AHEL was transferred on July 13 to Trans-European Airways Limited. TheirConstellation G-AHEJ has no certificate of airworthiness. "According to information from the Austrian authorities, the aircraftOE-IFA for which permission was sought had been placed on the Austrian register on June 27, Aero Transport Flugbetriebsgesellschaftbeing the registered operator. It had been supplied by Capt Kozubski, the managing director of Falcon Airways, who were registered as theowners. "It is understood from the Austrian authorities that Capt Kozubskiwould pilot the aircraft. "Under the Air Navigation Order, 1960, there is discretion to grant orrefuse permission for foreign-registered aircraft to pick up or set down passengers for hire or reward in this country. In the exercise of thisdiscretion, the Ministry has formed the view that the connection between Falcon Airways, Capt Kozubski, and the operation of this aircraft wereso close that the permission ought to be withheld on the ground that the use of this aircraft in these circumstances would enable it to be flownvirtually by a British undertaking, and carrying British passengers, without regard to many of the safety requirements of the Air Naviga-tion Order, 1960, and particularly the safety conditions attached to the Air Operator's Certificate held by Falcon Airways. Falcon Airwayshave been so informed. "Falcon Airways hold an Air Operator's Certificate limiting theiroperations to an area covering broadly Europe and the Mediterranean, and if they complied with the conditions of their certificate and therequirements of the Air Navigation Order and Regulations there would be no objection to their carrying out these flights with British-registered aircraft. The flight time limitations of the Order governing pilots'hours are particularly important. "Falcon Airways gave notice of appeal against the limitation on theirCertificate. The appeal was due to be heara on July 12, by Mr J. Roland Adams, QC, but on July 7 Falcon Airways wrote: 'Due tochanges within the Company, which have taken effect since the date of our Notice of Appeal, we now wish to advise you that it is our desire towithdraw the said Appeal.' " Note: Article 68 of the Air Navigation Order, 1960, reads as follows:"An aircraft registered in a Contracting State other than the United Kingdom, or in a foreign country, shall not take on board or dischargeany passengers or cargo in the United Kingdom, being passengers or cargo carried or to be carried for hire or reward, except with the permis-sion of the Minister granted under this Article to the operator or the charterer of the aircraft or to the Government of the country in whichthe aircraft is registered, and in accordance with any conditions to which such permission may be subject." Obviously, the important question is: What are the safety condi-tions attached to Falcon Airways air operator's certificate which might have been, in the Ministry's view, disregarded ? Every AOC issued to British operators by the Ministry's directorof aviation safety (Mr W. E. B. Griffiths) has special conditions, and so far as the Ministry is concerned these conditions are secret. Mr Frederick Beezley, assistant managing director of Falcon,last week told Flight the special conditions attached to his com- pany's AOC. These are: (1) That Falcon should employ a particu-lar check captain [Capt L. Chegwidden]; (2) That 14 days' notice be given if the company abolishes the positions of chief pilot or opera-tions manager. Mr Beezley said there had been no changes in these positions, and therefore the question of whether these conditionshad been met did not arise. Asked whether there were any other special conditions attachedto Falcon's AOC, Mr Beezley said: "If ever you find out what are the special conditions to which the Ministry are directing theirminds, I would be delighted to know." Previously, Mr Beezley had been quoted in a newspaper asfollows: "I think certain officials of the Ministry of Aviation have a personal dislike of Capt Kozubski and myself."
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