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Aviation History
1963
1963 - 1761.PDF
568 FLIGHT International, 3 October 1963 AIR COMMERCE . This Piper Aztec is one of the new Gregory Air Taxi fleet based at Denham (news-item below). The Aztec carries four passengers at over 200 m.p.h., and the hire charge is 4s per mile US SHORT-HAUL TRANSPORT INTEREST THE Federal Aviation Agency is reported by Aviation Daily to be showing real concern over the local service airlines' plea for a short- haul, low-coat transport. The Agency, it is stated, is considering plans for holding a design competition, and some $300,000 would be made available for initial funding. The FAA have already made known their views on the broad general specification for such an aircraft: accommodation for 14-20 passengers with carry-on baggage provision; two pilot crew; non-refuelled range sufficient for five 100-mile segments; ability to use3,000ft airfields; minimum flying speed 60 m.p.h. and a maximum approach speed of 80 m.p.h.; suggested cruising speed, 200 m.p.h.; and twin-turbines. Senator Thomas Mclntyre has introduced a bill urging for the development of such a transport, which he says would be aimed at eliminating the need for local-service airline subsidies. Mclntyre has also said: "The US should apply itself to providing for short- haul aircraft development with a determination equal to that being used to clear obstacles in the path of commercial supersonics." The latest FAA requirements, and the broadly similar figures proposed earlier this year (Flight International, February 21,1963, page 254) by the Association of Local Transport Airlines, pose an exceedingly difficult task for aircraft designers working within the tight economic requirements. It has often been suggested that it would be very difficult to improve on the Nerd 262 and Potez 840, but there is strong feeling in America that any new local-service airliner should be US-designed and built in order to stimulate the civil aircraft manufacturing industry whose long-term future (in view of Concorde and BAC One-Eleven prospects) now looks less bright. It is reported in the Financial Times that General Dynamics/ Convair is currently in the project study stage with a small short- haul transport designated Convair 640. The report says that the aircraft is initially designed around two rear-mounted Rolls-Royce RB-183 Spey Juniors and will have a gross weight of 48,2001b, capacity for 48 passengers, and cost £650,000. Although smaller than the 74-seat One-Eleven and DC-9, and bigger than the declared local-service requirements, the 640 would no doubt interest a number of local-service carriers whose operations are big enough to cause them to show interest in the 74-seat jets. GREGORY AIR TAXIS A NEW air taxi company, known as Gregory Air Taxis, has been formed in the London area, with headquarters at Denham Airfield. Its founder is Mr Kenneth Gregory, who is well known in the motor racing world as professional manager to Stirling Moss. The company has been in private charter operation on a limited and unpublicized basis since last April, and the experience has been so encouraging that Mr Gregory has decided there is a very big and unsatisfied demand for a service of this kind. The company's varied fleet of three aircraft should prove highly suitable for tackling almost every kind of light charter work: it comprises a Piper Aztec, a Comanche 250 and a Pilatus Porter. For the Aztec and Comanche the hire charge is based on mileage —4s and 2s 6d per mile respectively. The total hire charge is computed on the direct distance between points and plus the cost of any necessary positioning flight from Denham. All other expenses are included in the hire rate, except in the case of overnight trips, where there is a £5 charge to cover airport parking fees and pilot's expenses, and flights into London Heathrow when a £6 charge is made. Percentage discounts are offered for block boo] At the moment, charter of the Porter is at a fixed rate of £ hour. Chief pilot of Gregory Air Taxis is Captain John Bennett served in the RAF for 20 years—ten of them in Transport Comr and the remainder with Flying Training Command. Capt Be tells Flight International that Denham is a very suitable a for the company's purpose. Without bearing the overheads big airport, it is nevertheless conveniently near to London for bad-weather operations there are two well placed VORs, for extra help the air taxi pilot can call on any one of three n radar directors for accurate positioning prior to letting down the field. Capt Bennett emphasizes how the success of an opei such as this depends on having pilots of a particular ca above all, they must have many years' experience of flying ov< particular countryside and in all seasons. The consequenc over-caution or "too much press-on" are fairly obvious. The company says that it can carry passengers or light ft between any of the 81 civil airfields in the British Isles and, subj pre-flight permission, between any of 100 other military and pi airfields as well. Mr Gregory quotes an example of poi time-saving on a journey between the centres of London Liverpool. By scheduled airline, he says, the journey would 2hr 40min, by train 4hr 20min, by car 4hr 50min, by Gregor Taxi lhr 55min. The return fares are: by airline, £10; by first class, £7 5s; by car (assuming lOd per mile allowance), and Gregory Air Taxi £45—or £15 per head if all seats are occi (equivalent to lOd per passenger mile). The company's slogs "Anytime—Anywhere"; its telephone number, Denham 2626. DUTCH PILOT.REDUNDANCY FACED with the need to declare one in five of their pilots redunt KLM management have cancelled an arrangement with the p association that four years' salary will be paid to each pilot cerned. The reason given is that the cost would be too high- pilots* association is well aware of the company's difficulties as one solution, has proposed that KLM should form a non-1 subsidiary which would use some of the company's redui piston-engined aircraft on low-cost holiday and charter flights Redundancy amonst Dutch pilots is now serious, and no i graduates from the government civil flying school at Eelde Air Groningen, will be accepted by KLM. NORTHEAST VISCOUNT SALES art due t( TOMORROW, October 4, nine Viscount 745s sold by public auction at Boston International Airport- i, together with ten spare Darts, was ordered by the Irving of New York, trustees for Northeast. The aircraft were repos* on behalf of Vickers when the airline fell behind in its pay™ The Viscounts have been replaced by DC-6BS, five havn* leased from Ayer to add to the ten already in service an ^ are mortgaged to Vickers as security for Viscounts. It >s n ^ however, that Vickers will take over these aircraft. As ^ reported, Northeast have been operating Convair 8» by Hughes Tool, having returned the six 880s leased from u A
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