FlightGlobal.com
Home
Premium
Archive
Video
Images
Forum
Atlas
Blogs
Jobs
Shop
RSS
Email Newsletters
You are in:
Home
Aviation History
1962
1962 - 0369.PDF
FLIGHT International, 8 March 1962 Letters The Editor of" Flight International" is not necessarily in agreement with the views expressed by correspondents in these columns. Names and addresses of writers, not for publication in detail, must in all cases accompany letters. 369 The DC-2 referred to by Mr C. T. Ellis (Col "Social Service" Routes SIR,—BEA*s recent announcement that it would reduce frequencies on some of the Scottish ""social service*" routes spotlighted a glaring injustice which must be righted if competition under the terms of the Civil Aviation Licensing Act is to be on an equal footing. Surely it is inequitable that BEA should itself make up the deficit incurred on the '"social service'" routes? If the Government or the general public feels that these services have a social value to the community which outweighs their cost, then some other way must be found of financing them. Ideally, the deficit should be paid either by the Govern ment or by the local authorities of the areas served. As this is unlikely to happen for some time, the best solution is for the airlines operating domestic routes to make a contribu tion towards the deficit in proportion to the domestic route mileage they have been granted by the ATLB. In this way, the cost of the "social service'* routes could be more fairly shared out between the competing airlines. A further possible solution would be to apportion the cost in proportion to the domestic capacity ton-miles operated or load ton-miles carried; but this method should be avoided, since it makes the contribution towards the "social services'" a variable cost rather than an overhead, and as such it becomes a tax on initiative. London WC2 R. IXXiANIS Cunard Eagle 707 Plans SIR,—With reference to the news item on page 277 of Flight International for February 22, regarding Cunard Eagle 707 plans, may 1 draw your attention to the fact that five flight navigators are also at present undergoing training at Boeing. This omission on your part could lead to a misconception on the Cunard Eagle crew complement for Boeing 707 operation. Richmond, Surrey A. L. SEGALL Canard Eagle Member Group Representative. IANC Executive Committee Veteran DC-2s SIR,—In the correspondence column of your issue of January 25, there was a letter from a reader regarding a Douglas DC-2, registration number ZS-DFX, in the livery of Phoenix Airlines. I enclose two photographs of this aircraft [one of which is reproduced herewith—Ed], in the livery of Silver City Airways, taken by myself at Idris Airport, Tripoli, North Africa, in October 1958. Previous correspondence (January 4) has also, 1 believe, enquired why this aircraft, although owned by a British airline, was not on the UK Civil Register. To the best of my knowledge, this was to facilitate charter operation of the aircraft in a foreign country. Dartford. Kent C. T. ELLIS How Many Will Fly Foreign? SIR,—Reading your publication from cover to cover each week as 1 do. 1 am usually struck by the well-informed articles, some of which are frequently tantalisingly contro versial. However, your issue of February 1 contained a reference to my company which does not meet with the facts and which I feel requires clarification. It was not—as stated—our intention, neither have I at any time stated it to be an intention, that Flightways would operate tours in 1962 based on 1TX fares. In actual fact, we intended to make is; of the normal! ?) cabotage air fare to Gibraltar on BEA's services. Unfortunately this subsequently proved impossible, as BFA were unable to accept our requirements. Your correspondent appears lo be unaware that the mid week night tourist air fare to Gibraltar return— which was the fare structure Flightways intended to apply is in fact identical to the 1TX fare on this route. The commission differential of 15s 3d per passenger is insufficient induce ment to negotiate 1TX cover in view of the attendant restric tions and administrative involvements. To counter any further remarks, I would add that although Flightways are not lATA-appointed. this does not in any way prevent the placing of reservations with BEA, who have in the past accepted and confirmed our reservations. Indeed, frequent and insistent invitations to do so have been extended to Flightways at hearings before the AT AC and ATLB. London SW3 PETER F. SINCLAIR Managing Director, Flightways Ltd. Vertical Control SIR,—Perception and control of altitude is the most import ant aspect of normal instrument flight. At times the pilot has to watch some instruments and indicators to perceive where the aircraft is, and also has to manipulate the control column or autopilot and select engine power to keep airspeed or Mach number, altitude and rate of change of altitude, within appropriate limits. To achieve proper control of speed/Mach number and proper control of the vertical components of aircraft posi tion, velocity and acceleration, he has to watch as many as four separate instruments. He is also busy observing, integrating and controlling other aspects of the flight. Although the pilot (or pilots) nearly always performs this complicated and satisfying sensori-motor task perfectly well, it is not surprising that occasionally the human part of the complete servomechanism fails to keep the aircraft altitude greater than ground altitude. In such cases laymen sometimes ask why the pilot could not tell from his altimeter that he was too low. That altimeters are liable to misread is now well known and better altimeters are being produced; but recent research has shown that even the single-needle five-counter types may occasionally be misread on a snap observation. Now control of the aircraft in the horizontal plane has been much improved by Integrated Flight Systems. The reason is that the pilot's task becomes simpler once he has made the proper settings, which can be done at leisure beforehand and checked frequently; collection and integra tion of information is done mechanically for him and he has only to move the control column laterallyto keepabeadona target. Perhaps the reason why "horizontal" Integrated Flight Systems could be manufactured was that the informa tion could be transformed into electrical terms. Since altitude information can now be transformed into electrical terms, perhaps a "vertical" Integrated Flight System could be produced. It would improve control of the aircraft vertically, as the "horizontal" IFS has improved it in the horizontal plane. The pilot should be able to preset the following: altitude
Sign up to
Flight Digital Magazine
Flight Print Magazine
Airline Business Magazine
E-newsletters
RSS
Events
