FlightGlobal.com
Home
Premium
Archive
Video
Images
Forum
Atlas
Blogs
Jobs
Shop
RSS
Email Newsletters
You are in:
Home
Aviation History
1962
1962 - 0025.PDF
FLIGHT International, 4 January 1962 2? lady, by using a bicycle and a Turbulent, went to Paris and back in one day off from her normal work at a total cost of £3. She won no prize, you will note, nor was her effort even noticed by the news papers, who were full of the exploits of the big boys, aided by their press relations officers. Here again is work for the FAI. Records are all very well—the highest, the biggest, the fastest, and the mostest—since they make for progress and they stimulate endeavour. But in these days when so much of the average citizen's money is being spent for him for purposes of which he probably disapproves, his genuine admiration and respect is reserved for those who do a little better those things which he is able to do himself. The great bicycle race around France is based on this philosophy, as is the popularity of the great foot ballers and cricketers. How can we translate this in terms of sporting flying? The gliding movement is already showing us the way. Aeromodelling is attracting its thousands. It is only private transport by light aero plane to places where we want to go that lags so far behind its potential. If the FAI could sponsor and regulate a series of records based on the transport by air from one place to another of human beings in small numbers, worked on a commonsense formula which took into consideration time and money spent, it would do much to prove to the world public what a useful, practical, and economic means of transport the small aeroplane is, or could be, if so many artificial difficulties did not exist. Put into competition with other forms of transport, we might get some very interesting results. * * * The Seaplane Club is making progress. They have acquired a pair of floats, and a Tiger Moth, which are now in the process of being married together. They are in active negotiation for a base within fairly easy reach of London. Seaplane flying is not going to be particularly cheap. You have to have a motor boat and main tenance is bound to be higher than for landplanes, but they will be the only seaplane club in the country, and I predict they will not lack for members. How many it may be possible to take is a matter for the club's committee, but I should recommend anyone who is interested to write and apply to join without delay. If you write to me I will undertake to forward your application to the right quarters. * * * Undoubtedly the three worst months of the year from the private flying point of view are November, December and January—short age of daylight, a tendency to fog, and the knowledge that spring and a renewal of activity are a long way off, all contribute to a feeling of general depression. This is the time, too, when anyone connected with private and sporting flying who is at all short of cash finds it hardest to satisfy creditors and to persuade his debtors to pay up. Since almost everyone in the private flying world is short of money, the feelings I have described are pretty general, and all being in the same boat together should give us a pleasant com munity feeling. There is no doubt that in the next few years everyone connected with light aviation will sink or swim together. If we can attract enough numbers and interest from the great British public, we shall go ahead. If we don't, we shan't. It is as simple as that. So let us all devote our energies to the great cause and not waste time slanging each other. A lot can be done in the dark days—lectures, dinners, dances, and even a little night-flying. And please let us all make our plans well in advance and publish our dates. Last-minute operations always cause confusion and clashing of events. Making this country a fit place to enjoy flying in is a long and continuous job, but big dividends may be expected from mutual help and I co-operation. First Dornier D028 to enter service in the USA, this aircraft has been bought by Mr Hans A. Bauer, president of Elkhort Engineering Corp oration of Plymouth, Wisconsin A Morane-Saulnier Rallye demonstrator is now being flown in this country by London Aeroplane Club, Panshanger. Production Rallyes are here seen at the Morane-Saulnier factory at Tarbes (news item below) Rallye Production Improves Following production difficulties in connection with the highly automated spot-welding of the fuselage of the Morane-Saulnier Rallye. which delayed the planned produc tion by approximately six months and caused the cancellation of a number of orders, it is expected that a rate of 30 aircraft per month will be achieved during this month. Later, this rate will be doubled. One of the first production Rallyes was exported to Britain and is now being flown as a demonstrator by London Aeroplane Club, Panshanger. Other early production aircraft have gone to Switzer land, Australia, Canada. New Zealand, Argentina and the Nether lands. Production machines at the company plant at Tarbes are pictured in the photograph above. Dove for Coal Board The de Havilland Dove 8 executive aircraft purchased by the National Coal Board will be delivered next spring and will be used by more than 100 directors, executives and senior staff members of the national and regional boards, according to Hawker Siddeley Aviation. The intention is that the aircraft will speed up communications between the national board in London and the nine regional boards throughout the United Kingdom, and will help to foster business with the Coal Board's traditional customers in western Europe. Expansion at Elstree London School of Flying at Elstree, who logged 6,825hr 30min during the school's 1961 financial year, are adding an Anson and an extra Chipmunk to increase this year's flying potential. In addition to part-time and full-time instruction for Private Pilots' Licences, there was a marked increase in training for professional pilot qualifications at Elstree during 1961. Service for Executives Now operating at Oxford Airport, Kidlington, is British Executive Air Services, a Pressed Steel subsidiary formed by the amalgamation of the Pressed Steel Air Services Division (excluding its maintenance and service section) and Oxford Aviation Co Ltd. Formation of the company followed a close study of the needs of business flying which had been carried out by Pressed Steel since this company acquired its first executive aircraft, and the work of the Air Services Division is providing advisory services to other companies interested in executive flying. British Executive Air Services plans to maintain a pool of pilots and of aircraft at Kidlington, available for business-flying assignments, and to include the servicing and operating of other companies' aircraft as required. Pilots' Paperwork A delivery flight from the USA to Australia by two Australians in an Aero Commander 680F late last year required approximately 130 hours of paperwork for a flying time for the journey of 103 hours. According to the Aero Commander company, this amount of form-filling—for customs and health authorities, briefing and flight plans—was generated by the selection of an Atlantic route to Australia and the lack of ferry tanks. The two pilots were Keith Busby and C. Oban Dowie, of E. L. Heyman- son & Co Pty Ltd of Melbourne, Aero Commander distributor for Australia and New Zealand. To include business visits to London and Milan, the flight from Bethany, Oklahoma was made by way of Canada, Europe, the Middle East, India and the islands of the South China Sea. It was decided that passenger space and comfort were more important than range, and so ferry tanks were omitted for the flight. Lectures at Thruxton Wiltshire Flying Club's course of winter lectures began last month at Thruxton with a talk on air traffic control and the private pilot by Mr G. Dickenson, of the air traffic control school at Hurn. Further lectures on similar topics are planned to cover the next few months.
Sign up to
Flight Digital Magazine
Flight Print Magazine
Airline Business Magazine
E-newsletters
RSS
Events
