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Aviation History
1963
1963 - 0205.PDF
FLIGHT International, 7 February 1963 195 LETTERS... then took up a horizontal position face downwards. In the woods he saw a little glade and "glided" on to it. The glade was covered with snow two metres deep which softened the blow. But the blow was strong enough, and Ochepkov lost consciousness. He recovered consciousness when the helicopter landed, and himself climbed into the machine. The luckiest man in the Soviet Air Force is Lt-Col I. M. Chissov. He was navigator of an Ilyushin 4 which was flown by a crew of four. In January 1942, as they were on their way home at the height of 23,000ft, after raiding Nazi echelons in the station at Vyazma, their bomber was attacked by 12 Messerschmitts. A cannon shell silenced the right engine, another shell shot off the tail. Both air gunner and wireless operator were killed. The bomber turned on its back; bursts of bullets and shells hit it. Chissov, then a lieutenant, baled out. It was impossible to open his parachute: the Messerschmitts flew around, and Chissov decided to fall with non-opened parachute. How he escaped that hail of bullets is a mystery. He fell for 22,000ft, then intended to open the parachute; but it was too late: he lost consciousness at the height of l,000/l,300ft. He landed with his parachute on the edge of a deep ravine, whose slopes were covered with snow 3ft thick, and slid into the bottom of it. After 15-20 minutes he came to his senses, and was rescued by General P. A. Belov's cavalrymen. His injuries: concussion of the spine and fractured pelvis. In three-and-a-half months he was out of hospital and became a teacher at a military flying school. He rose from the rank of lieutenant to that of lieutenant-colonel and retired recently. All eight airmen mentioned above are alive and some of them are still serving in aviation. Tartu, USSR E. MEOS Youth at the Helm SIR,—Re your news item (Air Commerce, November 8) about Capt Sakabe of All Nippon Airways, who at 27 became the youngest captain in Japanese civil aviation history, it might interest your readers to know that there are considerably younger captains at much closer quarters. The youngest captain in Finnish aviation history is Capt Kari Heikkala of Kar-Air, who in the summer of 1960 was commissioned to fly DC-3 scheduled passenger services at the exact age of 23 years 6 months and 11 days. In Finnair, Capt Kimmo Haaramo started to fly the DC-3 as a captain in 1957, at the exact age of 23 years 9 months and 22 days. Furthermore, both Finnair and Kar-Air have two captains who got their command at the age of 24, while at 25 four Finnair captains and one Kar-Air captain got their com missions. Capt Heikkala certainly is the youngest captain in Scandin avia, but it would be interesting to know if there are still younger ones anywhere in Europe, or anywhere for that matter. Bearing in mind the adverse weather conditions prevailing in Finland for the best part of the year, it may perhaps seem that too great responsibility has been placed on the shoulders of these youngsters, but on the other hand, most modern Air Forces would consider a 27-year-old too old to meet the requirements for physical fitness and alacrity needed in today's complex aeroplanes. Westend, Finland B. HTELM, Capt, Flight Operations, Finnair Royal Tour Aircraft SIR,—It is with regret I see that the organizers of the Royal tour to Australia and New Zealand find it necessary to use foreign-built aircraft for HM the Queen and HRH the Duke of Edinburgh to fly in during their tour. There are sufficient Viscounts in Britain that could be used for the proposed flights by Convair Metropolitans. I am sure that Dakota journeys could be made by Heralds. Handley Page have a demonstrator and I am sure British United Airways would be only to willing to lease one of their Heralds. May I remind the organizers it was only a few months ago that Prince Philip toured South America in a Herald on a British industry and goodwill tour. If a Herald could be used in the coming tour it may persuade some of the Dakota operators that Britain has got a Dakota replacement. It is most depressing when looking at television and cinema newsreels to see the Queen and Prince Philip still arriving in foreign aircraft. Morden, Surrey D. HACKWITH [The Royal visitors are being flown by the RAAF, who use Convair Metropolitans and Dakotas as transport aircraft.—Ed] Airliner Census SIR,—Mr P. G. Hillman's letter in your January 24 issue on the "Airliner Census" raises many interesting points. As regards the 11-18, of those delivered to Aerofiot the registra tions run from CCCP-L75639 to (to date) 75825, with possibly a few more thereafter. Also on Il-18s, it appears that certain export aircraft may be ex-Aeroflot, one most suspect of this being 3X-NZE of Air Mali. On his points on Packets and Grummans, Mr Hillman would find these should read 17+ and 56+, a 4 having been printed instead of a +. As to initials, 1 should imagine that most people who read the census in detail would know the initials, or else know where to look for them. One final idea would be to use some of the "amateurs" in aviation to help compile the census, to increase its accur acy; because although it is very good there are always some mistakes. London NW6 JOHN M. DA VIS [As we remarked in the preface to the Census, "Perfection in a compilation such as this is not attainable and any amend ments that readers can suggest will be welcome."—Ed] Mr Wootton's Propeller SIR,—With reference to the "In Brief" paragraph on the Letters page of Flight International for January 10, no doubt other readers have written to explain most of the symbols on Mr Frank A. A. Wootton's propeller. It is evidently a propeller for a J.A.P, J.99 engine, probably fitted to an Aeronca. DRG.LA.W denotes the drawing number; RHT = right-hand tractor; JAP = J. A. Prestwick; D.5.5. P2.33 abbreviates diameter 5ft 6in, pitch 2ft 4in. London SW1 GODFREY HARWOOD Herriard Flying Group FORTHCOMING EVENTS Feb 11 Kronfeld Club: "The Theory and Technique of Soaring,' Part 2, by Derek Piggott. Feb 11 RAeS, Gloucester and Cheltenham: "Servicing of Transport Aircraft," by E. Gregory. Feb 11-25 World Gliding Championships, Junin, Argentina. Feb 12 RAeS Astronautics and Guided Flight Section: "Hyper sonic Research at the NPL," by E. W. E. Rogers. Feb 12 RAeS, Boscombe Down: Members'' Night, Feb 12 RAeS, Cambridge: "Cross-Channel Services and the Carvair," by A. C. Leftley. Feb 12 RAeS, Hatfield: "Early German Rockets," by Mini- sterialrat Dip Ing Mayer. Feb 12 RAeS, Luton: "Hawker P.1127," by A. W. Bedford. Feb 12 Society of Environmental Engineers: "High-speed Resonance-searching with Automatic Recording." Feb 13 RAeS, Chester: "Airframe Construction Materials," by R. Graham. Feb 13 RAeS, Christchurch, "Experiences of an Airline Pilot," by O. P. Jones. Feb 13 RAeS, Merthyr and Treforest: "New Ideas in Aircraft Electrical Systems," by M. Hancock. Feb 13 Kronfeld Club: "Flying in the Swiss Gliding Champion ships," by Chris Riddell. Feb 13 Women's Engineering Society: "Supersonic Airliners," by M. G. Wilde.
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