FlightGlobal.com
Home
Premium
Archive
Video
Images
Forum
Atlas
Blogs
Jobs
Shop
RSS
Email Newsletters
You are in:
Home
Aviation History
1962
1962 - 0234.PDF
236 FLIGHT International, 15 February 1962 Mr J. Saure of the FAA (second from right) presents Mr Don R. Berlin, vice-president and general manager of Boeing's Vertol Division, with a type certificate for the Boeing Vertol 107 (two G£ CTS8-II0 turbines of 1,250 h.p. each). On the left is Mr Oscar Bakke of the FAA, and on the right is Mr Lee Douglas, Vertol's director of engineering. In the background is one of the first of five 25-seat 107s for New York Airways. This helicopter's never-exceed speed of 168 m.p.h. at 19,0001b is said to be the highest certificated by the FAA Al R COM MERCE . . . TRIDENT DELIVERIES MOST national newspapers last week carried a report that the D.H. Trident will be delivered to BEA six months earlier than was expected. Most reports were to the effect that BEA will take delivery of the first aircraft in mid-1963, instead of the end of the year, and will introduce Tridents into service at Christmas 1963. The mid-1963 delivery date is, in fact, consistent with that pub lished in the past (Flight, January 22, 1960, and January 11, 1962). As has also been previously stated, BEA expect to introduce Tridents into full service in April 1964, with ad hoc services before the end of 1963. A CHECK ON FOREIGN AIRLINES A RECENT article in these pages, "How Many Will Fly Foreign?" (Flight International, February 1), examined the extent to which foreign airlines, who are not subject to British licensing or safety requirements, are booking inclusive-tour business with British travel agents. Briefly summarized, the conclusion was that a con siderable amount of business, but not as much as has been sug gested, is being diverted from British carriers. Reactions (see page 237), mainly from independent airlines, have been to the effect that the diversion of business is in fact on a much more serious scale. Their argument runs thus: Here we are, having to comply with the most stringent requirements in respect of safety and financial standards, while foreign airlines, which are subject to no such checks by the Ministry or the ATLB, are booking up thousands of British holidaymakers with British travel agents. A precise or even approximate estimate of the business being diverted is difficult to estimate, although our article made an attempt to obtain an approximation. It is possible to approach every British travel agent with the question: "How much IT business have you booked with foreign airlines for the coming summer?" But it is unreasonable to expect agents to give a full account of business dealings with carriers whose standards, prima facie, are not as high as those required of British airlines. It is possible also to approach independent airlines and ask: "How much business did you want to book with British agents but were unable to do so because you were unable to comply with Ministry and ATLB standards?" Again, full answers are not likely to be forthcoming. At any rate, the diversion is substantial enough to have prompted the Ministry to issue some words of advice to the Association of British Travel Agents. As was pointed out in our article, the Minis ter has the power under Article 68 of the Air Navigation Order, 1960, to limit the operations of foreign airlines into and out of this country. All operations require the permission of the Minister, and a reminder of this is the essence of the statement just issued to the travel agents. Unless the proposed operations are already covered by permits, says the statement, the foreign airlines concerned must apply to the Minister for the necessary permission. In considering such applications "the Minister has inter alia regard to the same criteria concerning the traffic justification of the proposed service as would the Air Transport Licensing Board in considering any application for a similar service by a British airline." And the state ment reminds agents that the price paid by the passenger for an IT shall not be less than the lowest applicable fare available to the public. The statement goes on to say that "in the interests of the airline and the travel agent, applications should be made in advance of any advertisement of the proposed service and, in any case, not less than three calendar months in advance of the proposed dates of operation of the services." It pointedly concludes: "Evidence of the acceptance of bookings of holiday tours is not, of course, in itself sufficient to secure permission for the air services required." It will be noted that no reference is made in the Ministry statement to foreign airline safety standards; strictly speaking these airlines will be allowed in only on the basis of "traffic justification." But it seems obvious that in granting or withholding a permit the Ministry will satisfy itself so far as it can on the question of safety. Next year all travel agents will be required to publicise the names of carriers; until then it is up to the public always to ask whether, if the airline concerned is foreign, Ministry permission for the proposed services has been granted. ROYAL HERALDRY LAST Thursday G-APWA, one of BEA's Handley Page Heralds, took off from Mackenzie Airport, near Georgetown, British Guiana, carrying HRH the Duke of Edinburgh on the start of his tour of South America. During the eight-week, 20,000-mile tour the aircraft will be flown by a BEA crew led by Capt W. J. Johnson. For many of the more than 100 hours of flying involved the Duke will be at the controls. The tour programme has been planned to include visits to all the South American states. The longest flight will be the 850-mile sector between Belem (Brazil) and Georgetown (British Guiana) on April 2, a 4hr 40 min flight which will round off a day of intensive flying during which the Duke, members of the Royal Party and the Herald's BEA crew will have spent some llhr in the air and flown more than 2,000 miles. On March 2, the Duke is due to take off in the Herald from the world's highest airport, at La Paz, capital of Bolivia—13,500ft up in the Andes. The Herald is believed to be the only turbine- powered airliner to have operated from El Alto, the highest of all civil airports. A Herald first visited La Paz on a demonstration tour of South America in 1960, and a second visit was paid more recently as part of a 19-day proving flight over the Royal route, undertaken by Capt Johnson and his crew, which ended on Febru ary 4. At the close of his tour the Duke of Edinburgh will fly back to Georgetown and then on to visit Jamaica, British Honduras and the Cayman Islands before returning to London from Kingston (Jamaica) by BO AC Britannia on April 6. Throughout the royal tour the Duke of Edinburgh's Herald (G-APWA) will be accompanied by a second BEA Herald (G-APWC).
Sign up to
Flight Digital Magazine
Flight Print Magazine
Airline Business Magazine
E-newsletters
RSS
Events
