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Aviation History
1963
1963 - 0572.PDF
550 FLIGHT Internationa/, 11 April j%^ 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 Names and addresses of writers, not for publication in detail, must in all cases accompany letters. Brief letters will have a better chance of early publication. ATLB Viewed from America SIR,—Over a year ago I wrote you my reactions to the ATLB hearings Flight, September 21, 1961). Since then we have had the opportunity to examine the results, not just the rhetoric, of the Board. At the hearings someone remarked that there was "a nigger in the woodpile" of British commercial aviation. He looms as large as ever. The corporations have financial and equipment troubles, the independents come and go, or join BUA. The route awards have had controversial results. The picture is one of uncertainty, of lack of co ordination and central purpose, frequently of contradiction, and sometimes of near chaos. Britain, with the ATLB, the Ministry, and the corporations, has all the equipment to execute a centrally planned and co-ordinated aviation policy. The machinery is available to facilitate a policy which could let the manufacturers and operators, both private and national, know exactly where they stand, and constructively assist all three. Such is not the present situation. The amateur enthusiast can rarely contribute in any con structive way. He often overlooks problems which are commonplace to the professional and which make his sug gestions naive absurdities. His romantic affection for an aircraft, for example, often blinds him to that machine's economic inefficiency. In the business no one can afford to think this way but Howard Hughes—who seldom does. Having thus disqualified myself, 1 will make some sugges tions. First, review the fleet disposal policy of the corporations, particularly BOAC. I'll have the gall to say that they need increased market awareness, so that they offer aircraft for sale at the right times and prices (for the market, not what BOAC would like). This was not done with the DC-7Cs. Next, consider a system for leasing-out surplus corpora tion aircraft, if need be at particularly favorable rates to British operators. Third, consider some sort of zoning system in route licensing. Let one operator have all three points on a route network triangle, rather than splitting two triangles between two operators. This would eliminate much ferrying of empty aircraft, and would give the operator a basis for co-ordinated but flexible operations. Members of the ATLB would be given an added headache, but would they notice one more? This procedure also demands long-range plan ning, but that is needed anyway. Last, go back to first causes, redetermine British civil aviation policy, and then see that all government branches involved are co-ordinated for the execution of that policy. Analyse some basic questions, such as: "What was the Act really intended to do?" "What role was envisaged for the airlines at the time they were nationalized?" "What is the intended function of the corporations now ?" "What should be the role of the independents?" "How are the British taxpayer, the travelling public, and the national security best to be served ?" Let the answers to such questions form the basis for a clearly defined and consistently pursued policy. Meanwhile I look forward to being "Conwayed" (as the Artful Dodger might have said) across the Atlantic this summer by BOAC, an operator whose standards I have never seen equalled. Cambridge, Mass PETER J. REED Nord 262 as DC-3 Replacement SIR,—In your article of February 21 on the Nord 262, you say I did less than justice to this aircraft in discussing a DC-3 replacement for the less-developed territories. May I suggest you did my arguments less than justice by omitting to mention two points I particularly stressed: (a) that speed is not of great importance when the alternative to the aircraft may be the bullock cart; and (b) that fast aeroplanes, unlike slow ones, require elaborate ground organizations which the less-developed territories can neither afford nor provide the manpower to sustain. Since returning from Geneva I have met a representative of Panair do Brazil, who told me his company operates several thousands of route-miles along the Amazon and its tributaries with Catalina aircraft. At the majority of points served the only ground facility is a mooring buoy and en route navigation is simply a matter of following the river! No doubt the airline would be delighted to replace their Catalinas by available faster and vastly more economical aircraft, but it is heartening to learn that this company has not persuaded its Government into the belief that such a step, with its costly concomitant of landing-ground construc tion, telecommunications, etc, would necessarily benefit the economy as a whole. This type of operation is by no means untypical of what is required in the territories with which the Geneva Confer ence was concerned, and I was endeavouring to show that aircraft designed to rely largely on efficient ground organiz ations are not the answer to our problems. Such organiz ations do not exist over large areas and are unlikely to be provided for many years. Nairobi, Kenya J. j. FURNISS, Director of Civil Aviation, East Africa [This letter is referred to on one of our Air Commerce pages, p. 493—Ed] CPL Training: Requirements SIR,—Since the White Paper on Aviation Safety was pub lished last spring, attention has been sharply focused on flying training and in particular on training for commercial pilot's licences. Now that some of the evidence laid before the Hamilton Committee has been published, it would seem appropriate to set out the evidence, both written and oral, which this Association has laid before that committee. We pointed out that we had drawn the attention of the Ministry to the need for improvement in the standards of airmanship and aerodrome discipline in the light aeroplane movement as long ago as June 1960, and at that time we made suggestions for the raising of instructional standards. When appearing before the committee we strongly recom mended that, even when Ministry-approved courses of training for the CPL become obligatory, the flying carried out in obtaining a PPL at a club where the course for the PPL is approved should be allowed to count towards the total flying required for the CPL (probably 20 per cent of existing professional pilots, including instructors, began their flying careers in private flying); and in view also of the wide geographical distribution of aero clubs it was suggested that these could be used as "grading schools" for potential CPL candidates, thus eliminating unsuitable material before the more expensive stage of their training is reached. We also felt it necessary to draw the committee's attention to the fact that there are many commercial pilots employed on work other than airline flying, as we feel that there is a danger that all commercial pilot training may be directed to producing airline pilots and that the importance of training, for example, junior flying instructors, may be overlooked. We also emphasized that arrangements must be made for special courses for applicants with considerable flying ex perience who wish to obtain CPLs. It would be tragic if regulations should be made which could prevent enthusiastic private pilots becoming assistant instructors and progressing through this to a full instructor's rating and eventually perhaps to full-time employment as professional flying instructors. Recently it has been announced that the date by which
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