FlightGlobal.com
Home
Premium
Archive
Video
Images
Forum
Atlas
Blogs
Jobs
Shop
RSS
Email Newsletters
You are in:
Home
Aviation History
1964
1964 - 1639.PDF
896 LETTERS . . . test, and I believe that I can do this in a Piper Tri-Pacer which is fully equipped for the purpose and can be hired. I would certainly favour a progressive system of ratings designed to extend the scope of my flying at the moment. I use the aeroplane strictly as an A to B job and, obviously, without the instrument rating I am hampered. On the other hand, to devote the necessary time is difficult at the moment although, unless there is a change in the system, I shall have to in order to get the full use from my equipment. As a pilot of an executive private aeroplane, I do feel most strongly that more consideration should be given to our requirements. I think it ludicrous that the airspace directly below the airways is cluttered up, for example, with danger areas, parachute dropping and so on. This should surely not be permitted and the space should be kept completely clear for general aviation. Obviously, at the present moment with this system of being debarred from the airways this is the airspace in which you will find private aircraft which are travelling from A to B using all the facilities of the airways but, naturally, keeping out of controlled airspace. I also feel that the lowest levels of the airways should be raised in order to give sufficient clearance over high ground. At the moment, in my opinion, the position is unsatisfactory. For example, the lowest level of the airways is 6,500ft between Dijon and Gland on Lake Geneva but the highest ground en route is 5,500ft. In my opinion, 1,000ft clearance is not sufficient if one is flying IMC. To sum up, I would like to see, firstly, the suggestion of Mr Sarjeant for a "ladder" of ratings to be adopted and, secondly, for the space below the airways to be cleared for general aviation and, thirdly, a strong voice speaking for general aviation. I would also like your magazine to devote more space to items of interest to general aviation. I am sure that if you did you would do quite a lot towards encouraging private flying in this country and improving the standard. Southgate, A. C. FER, London N14 Director, Cinex Ltd [There is at present no real alternative to obtaining an instrument rating. A "Flight International" staff member de- voted 18 months' spare time work to obtain his rating and has found the effort more than fully repaid in subsequent opera- tions with our aircraft. Mr Fer's misgivings about the possible redundancy of his marker beacon receiver are unfounded; it will still be essential for ILS. Duplicate 360-channel com- munications and duplicate VOR are becoming increasingly important; it is helpful to be able to use two VOR beacons simultaneously and to work airways on one comm set while listening to met information on the other. An ILS glide- slope receiver is a pleasant luxury, but not essential unless the user intends to press on regularly in cloudbases lower than about 400ft. The question of terrain clearance when flying beneath airways is engaging the attention of the Royal Aero Club Light Aircraft Committee and we agree with our corres- pondent''s remarks. With regard to Mr Fer's concluding point: we constantly strive to increase our coverage of general aviation and, with our active participation in this activity through the intensive use of our Beechcraft Baron, have its welfare close at heart.—Ed] The "Southern Cloud" Search SIR,—Reading through my son's Flight International I was intensely interested in the story of the Southern Cloud (page 585, April 9). I was there in charge of the Melbourne Aero Club at Essendon for 2£ years and Travis Shortridge, the pilot, was one of the men I mothered from 1928 to 1931, when I returned home and went for a while to the LAC, Stag Lane. My son worked with me at the Aero Club and during the search of the Southern Cloud I did not get into my bed for a week. The clubhouse was not really equipped to cater for so many, so I ordered hams and joints to be left at my house near the aerodrome and stayed up all night cooking FLIGHT International, 28 May 1964 them, having an occasional doze in a chair, as I had to feed hundreds. The airline, all our own people, the Press, and everyone from dawn till dusk were searching. It was a terrible week and the start of all the ill-luck Kingsford Smith had, yet he and a splendid body of men and women worked so hard to put us on the flying map. People at home don't know how loyal and proud they were to speak of Britain. Yet when, later, I was at the LAC, Stag Lane, I was a bit ashamed of some of our people and how they treated Amy Johnson, Mollison [(whom I knew as a wonderful pilot), the Duchess of Bedford, Pauline Gower, the de Havilland boys and so many wonderful happy people in those days, and what they did. Now I am an old woman and I feel the people of today know so little of what these glorious people did for what was then the British Empire. Out of all that lot there is only- Alan Cobham, my son and myself left. I started Sir Alan's club at Malvern, too, for Flight Refuelling. Wokingham, Berks ANNE FRENCH (Mrs) SAM at Biggin Hill SIR,—We should like to refer to page 823 of Flight Inter- national for May 14, in which you refer to the 1964 Biggin Hill Air Fair. We are disappointed that no reference to our aircraft dis- play has been mentioned in the text, especially as our com- pany was the first foreign carrier to land there this year. Our Douglas Super DC-6B aircraft I-DIMB landed at lOOOhr on May 8 at Biggin Hill, and remained there until 1500hr on May 10. During this time a cinema show was given inside the cabin of the aircraft and the general public were admitted aboard in groups of 50, both to see this film and view the interior. It is felt that our participation in this Fair did in fact assist the sponsors in providing the British public with an insight into commercial air operations. It is therefore felt that certain significance should have been given to our operation and suggest that this would have been interesting to your readers. London Wl DENYS WINGATE, General Manager for UK and Ireland, Societd Aerea Mediterranea Aloha SIR,—In your issue for April 30 there is an article on p. 716 entitled, "Australia's Answers." The photograph at the head of the article depicts a Vickers Viscount taxying in to Hono- lulu Airport. However, the caption states that this is a Boeing 707 "V-jet." As this is the only aircraft in the pic- ture, am I correct in saying that this is a Viscount, or is this a new unknown Boeing shape? Wirral, Cheshire D. BUFF [The aircraft "taxying in" was that from which the photograph was taken. The aircraft to which our caption appeared to many readers to refer was a Viscount of the Hawaiian airline Aloha.—Ed] FORTHCOMING EVENTS May 28 Fleet Air Arm Review, Yeovilton entry by invitation ticket only). May 28- Jane 7 Light Aviation Salon, Cannes; Paris-Cannes Race. May 30 de Havilland Acrobatic Trophy, Competition, Ipswich. May 30 Norfolk and Norwich Aero Club; Summer party, Swanton Morley. May 30-31 Cdte d'Amour Aero Club: 4th European Rally, la Baute. May 30-31 Mdconnais Aero Club: International rally, Mdcon. May 31 Waveney Flying Group: Light-aircraft rally, Seething. June 4-7 Rally of the Sun (Deauville, la Baule, Aix-les-Bains, Le Castellet, Cannes). June 6 London School of Flying: Rally and informal display, Elstree. June 7 Turin Aero Club: 4th aerial tour of the chateaux of Piedmont, Turin.
Sign up to
Flight Digital Magazine
Flight Print Magazine
Airline Business Magazine
E-newsletters
RSS
Events
