FlightGlobal.com
Home
Premium
Archive
Video
Images
Forum
Atlas
Blogs
Jobs
Shop
RSS
Email Newsletters
You are in:
Home
Aviation History
1962
1962 - 0887.PDF
fLIGHT International, 7 June 1962 885 AIR CO E R C E CL-44S FOR BOAC? NO comment was forthcoming from BOAC earlier this week about reports that the corporation is planning to operate two Canadair CL-44s, starting this autumn. It is believed, however, that this is a possibility. Only the CL-44 could provide BOAC with early delivery of a really large capacity all-freighter. The CL-44 has a payload of more than 30 tons, more than double that of the DC-7F (BOAC have two DC-7Cs F-converted by Douglas for £116,500 each two years ago). Also, of course, the swing-tail CL-44 can accept much bulkier consignments than can the DC-7F. And the Canadair aircraft has also been giving really excellent service with Slick and Seaboard, both of whom have just placed repeat orders. On the other hand, the CL-44 was rejected by TCA, the national carrier of the country of its manufacture, in favour of the convert ible DC-8F. BOAC, like TCA, have to consider whether it might not be more economic to wait a little longer for a cargo version of their big passenger jets, in this case Boeings. This would certainly be more economic from the fleet standardization point of view; and the decision of Pan American—the world's leading carrier of inter national air freight—to go for the mixed-traffic Boeing jet must also be weighing heavily in BOAC's deliberations. How, the corporation must be wondering, can their DC-7Fs compete against overnight transatlantic jet deliveries of bulky cargo consignments? Even the 44, though capable of competing in cost and capacity, cannot compete with the speed of Pan American cargo jets. No doubt BOAC would like to have Boeing 707 freighters, but the Treasury would be hardly likely to agree. In the first place, the corporation ordered three more passenger 707s last year, and already appears to have too many aircraft on order. The con version of more DC-7Cs or of some surplus Britannia 312s (as hinted by Sir Matthew Slattery last March) would not produce an aircraft of adequate capacity, attractive though it might be from the capital-cost point of view. So the best compromise would seem to be to charter CL-44s until such time as BOAC can offer—as obviously they must eventually—cargo jets. For their long-term jet cargo needs BOAC could take a leaf out of BUA's book and specify some mixed-traffic VClOs; for more immediate jet cargo needs, a decision on a Boeing conversion of some passenger 707s, Treasury again permitting, might make sense. BOAC v. CALEDONIAN IF a British airline does not like the terms of another operator's licence, it can apply to the Air Transport Licensing Board for that licence to be varied or revoked. So far, an application for variation or revocation of somebody else's licence has never been made. Thus Civil Aviation Licensing Notice No 75, published by the ATLB, is historic as well as topical, for it includes such an application. BOAC are evidently not happy about the amount of traffic they are losing to charter operators between Europe and southern Africa, because they have applied for the variation of Caledonian Airways' E licence (No E.1382) so as to prevent that company's DC-7Cs from carrying fifth-freedom traffic from points in Europe to Africa. If successful, this application would debar Caledonian from charters such as those they do on behalf of the OVC between Luxembourg and Lourenco Marques. An airline profile on Trek Airways in last week's issue described this booming charter market. Caledonian's Air Operator's Certificate allows the airline to operate world-wide (with the one exception, it is believed, of trans- Polar routes), and likewise the company's E licence also has world wide validity. Caledonian have objected, or are about to object, to this BOAC objection. A most interesting hearing should ensue, particularly as British United are said to be making a representation in support of BOAC's objection. This will be one of those rare occasions when British United and BOAC are seen arm in arm in the ATLB courtroom. HOW INDIA GOT MORE VISCOUNTS AS previously reported in these pages, Indian Airlines Corporation has bought outright four Viscount 779s from Fred Olsen Airtrans port Ltd. IAC's house journal, The Trimsheet, relates that Fred Olsen had been approached by at least two other airlines with "more tempting offers than could be made by LAC." But the Norwegian airline refused to consider them unless negotiations with IAC failed. Each Viscount has completed approximately 6,000 hours; from April 1958 to 1960 they operated the services of Austrian Airlines, and two were then leased to BEA and two to SAS. Total cost of A hovercraft in airline markings appears in these pages for the first time—the Vickers VA.3 which British United are planning to operate from July 20 in experimental public service, in partnership with the makers, across the Dee Estuary. The craft is seen on Southampton Water, where its trials were observed last week by the Ministry of Aviation's Air Cushion Vehicle Co-ordinating Committee
Sign up to
Flight Digital Magazine
Flight Print Magazine
Airline Business Magazine
E-newsletters
RSS
Events
