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Aviation History
1962
1962 - 1113.PDF
FLIGHT International, 12 July 1962 41 AIR CO E R C E UNCH WITH LORD BRABAZON cAT Claridge's on July 5, Lord Brabazon, chairman of the ARB. was tost at the annual luncheon marking publication of the Board's Kmnual report (summarized on page 46). This was the occasion on •which Mr Christopher Woodhouse, Parliamentary Secretary to the ^Ministry of Aviation, surprised the operating industry with the §ncws that modern airworthiness standards will be applied to the •older transport aircraft. The implications of this are reviewed in another note on this page. Mr Woodhouse said also that the administration of the air ^operator's certificate system is to be "strictly enforced," and that - the Ministry is going ahead with the recruitment of additional ^inspectors. Flight inspectors would also continue to pay '"particular -attention" to operators' arrangements to ensure the route competence m> pilots. Mr Woodhouse referred also to Hovercraft, as noted in ian item on the next page. Lord Brabazon was, as always, in fine form. Of the ARB and the FAA he said: "I don't suppose that two organizations have ever fought each other harder, but we all call each other by our Christian names and are devoted to each other." His feelings about the super sonic transport remained the same, and he was glad to see Mr Bo Lundberg's remarks on this subject—"I commend these to you," 3ie said. (The views of Mr Lundberg, director of the Aeronautical Research Institute of Sweden, were published in Flight for April 5, page 507.) "If the object is prestige only," said Lord Brabazon, 2"! hope we can agree internationally to wait at least ten years before introducing supersonic transports." Talking about the unforgiving nature of the big jets, he said these aircraft demanded "a degree of alertness, skill and judgment" 3iot required in their predecessors. On the subject of the older aircraft Lord Brabazon (who spoke prior to Mr Woodhouse) said: *'Some of these old machines like the DC-3, Viking and Hermes ^compare well with the new ones." He concluded by light-heartedly laying: "Of course the Board takes no responsibility for what 1 say." Among the guests whom he welcomed was Mr G. E. Woods- Humphery, from 1929 to 1938 managing director of Imperial Airways, of whom he said: "He is the best airline operator this country has ever had—which is why I suppose he got the sack." will be full consultation with the Board and the industry . . ." Mr Woodhouse also referred to new requirements in respect of airborne equipment—a reference, presumably, to flight recorders; and to the improvement of aids installed at British airports. BOAC v CALEDONIAN AT their fiftieth meeting in 1962 the ATLB heard for the first time an application from one carrier to vary the licence of another; they also heard an American attorney arguing the case for a British airline. BOAC were applying to have Caledonian Airways' E licence so varied that it would exclude the operation of charter flights to and from points in Europe. They were supported by a representation from British United Airways. Caledonian were represented by Mr L. Bebchick, who has repre sented them in the United States; on holiday in Europe, he has agreed to represent Caledonian at this hearing "in view of the overall significance of the application." Support for Caledonian Airways came from Eros, Euravia and Trans-European Airways and Tradair. BOAC. represented by Mr D. A. Davies. based their application on the claim that the operations of Caledonian between Lourenco Marques and Luxembourg diverted traffic from the scheduled services of BOAC and their associates between South Africa and Rhodesia and the UK. They did not suggest that there was anything illegal in Caledonian's operations but submitted that these did not accord with the true purpose for which E licences were granted; this, they suggested, was to allow British carriers to compete without handicap against foreign carriers for charter traffic in the inter national market, not to allow them to operate to the prejudice of licensed British operators of scheduled services. Mr Davies said that BOAC did not object to the general form of E licences and had no intention of applying for the E licences of other independent operators to be varied unless they were being so used as to damage BOAC. BOAC wished to have the whole of Europe excluded from Caledonian's licence because, if Luxem bourg were stopped, "another bolt-hole elsewhere in Europe would probably be found" and the damage to BOAC would continue. AIRWORTHINESS OF OLD AIRCRAFT ^TIGHTER British performance requirements for older transport Sireraft such as the Viking, DC-3 and Hermes are to be drawn up By the Ministry of Aviation in consultation with the operators and the ARB. This news (see above), which could seriously affect the economics of many independent airlines, appears to have come as a complete surprise to the industry. No hint of such plans was Syen in the Ministry of Aviation's White Paper on safety last April, ior when Mr John Rankin asked the Minister in the Commons as pcently as May 14 about the airworthiness requirements imposed ild aircraft. In his reply Mr Thorneycroft gave no indication the requirements might be tightened up. r Woodhouse, giving the news at the ARB luncheon, said: :se aircraft are of course in no way intrinsically unsafe and a good airworthiness record, particularly the Dakota. But airworthiness standards do not match up in all respects to e prescribed by ICAO which we have applied since 1951 to our aircraft . . . Ifwe are to achieve our objects of raising standards 3fc all areas to the highest levels they must not fall below those of |ither countries and the time has therefore now come when the ^mistry considers that modern airworthiness standards—and I gave in mind particulaily those relating to performance—should jfe applied to these old aircraft. I appreciate that the application » lne more stringent performance requirements may well involve I 01 fli.. "1 hi. on tto Ue\ Mr Jesse F. Stallings left), president of Capitol Airways, Nashville, Ten nessee, signs the contract for five ex-Riddle Argosy freighters with Mr C. Bayly, Whitworth Closter's director and general manager. The Argosies are now operating "Logoir" services in the United States. A note about the contract is en page 44
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