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Aviation History
1962
1962 - 1066.PDF
18 FLIGHT International, 5 July 1962 Safety, Economy, Comfort IN AIR TRANSPORT The views of nine eminent authorities summed up by FRANK BESWICK DURING the past months nine very busy people have found time to answer questions for Flight International readers on this subject of safety, economy and comfort in air trans port. They have included the late Sir Frederick Handley Page as an aircraft constructor; Lord Douglas, the chairman of BE A, as a corporation operator; Mr F. A. Laker, executive director of BUA, as an independent operator; Gp Capt John Cunningham as a pilot; Mr R. E. Hardingham and Mr Walter Tye, respectively chief executive officer and chief technical officer of the Air Regis tration Board; Sir Miles Thomas, as a very informed passenger; Sir William Hildred, director-general of I ATA; and Lord Bra- bazon—whom I once described as the conscience of civil aviation. With each an authority in his own field it would be difficult to assemble a more representative and knowledgeable cross-section of air transport people. My questions in the interviews ranged too widely for a complete summary, but it is well worth reflecting again on some of the matters dealt with. Not surprisingly, the operators thought they were doing very well. Indeed, I was reminded of Aneurin Bevan's story about the inquiry into the value of psychiatry to the war effort. A committee of psychiatrists was appointed to make the investigation and, said Nye, they solemnly reached the conclusion that they were abso lutely indispensable. No doubt the operators are doing their job well, but the point of The late SIR FREDERICK HANDLEY PAGE: "... as for the aircraft, we want some thing simple." this inquiry was whether more could be done, not by the operator alone or separately, but collectively by all those who have a part to play in the air transport industry. I asked Lord Brabazon if he thought it would be useful for the future effective development of civil aviation to have another committee look into the whole field of civil aviation and its equip ment. What I had in mind was a body with wider terms of refer ence than the Brabazon Committee; something more like the Fin- letter Committee of the USA, but concentrating on civil air transport; a body that could sit back, take stock, and contemplate the wider, longer-range problem of transporting people and cargo by air. It seemed to me that such a body might reach more valid basic judgments than either operators or constructors, however skilled and socially responsible, who were primarily concerned and fully occupied with beating their competitors. In a sensible world this committee of mine would be international. Lord Brabazon thought there was some merit in the idea. "But when you get down to it," he said, "who gives the evidence? The expert operators put their point of view, but who represents the man in the street?" Sir Frederick Handley Page was against "another formal inquiry" and, upright individualist as he was to the end, said that progress came best from a system of individual freedom. But, he added, "within those limits I agree that we can probably do much more than we are doing at present"—to co ordinate requirements, at least between the Commonwealth, Europe and America. The possibility of getting an agreed, rational, approach to the problem of re-equipment I also put to Lord Douglas. I thought this LORD DOUGLAS OF KIRTLESIDEI ". . . with every Tom, Dick and Harry muscling in on the act it is difficult to see how an orderly, well-thought plan can come about." conception was made immensely more necessary with the supersonic issue looming nearer. I wanted to eliminate the competition rat- race. And with a planned, co-ordinated programme it seemed feasible to get an air transport vehicle specifically designed and mass-produced for good, safe, and really cheap travel. He said, "There is something in that . . . there is some sense in what you say, but this is a highly competitive business. Human nature being what it is, an airline will] always come along and attract the traffic with a faster aircraft. . ." This conception of an overall, international programme of air craft development and introduction I also put before Mr R. E LORD BRABAZON OF TARA: ". . . the expert operators put their point of view, but who, represents the man in the street?" Hardingham and Mr Walter Tye of the ARB, wondering if the> thought it feasible for airworthiness authorities to get together for this purpose. I had particularly in mind that in the interest ol safety, apart from economy, a slowing-down in the rate of re- equipment was called for in order to ensure that the authoritie:- were always able to keep abreast, if not in advance, of those whom they regulated. Mr Tye's view was that whatever the rate of develop ment it would be feasible for the airworthiness authorities to keer
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