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Aviation History
1966
1966 - 0025.PDF
FUGHT International, 6 January 1966 21 Letters Letters for these columns are welcomed, though "Flight International" does not necessarily endorse the views expressed. Name and address should be given, not necessarily for publication, in full. Brief letters will have a better chance of early publication. Short-haul Productivity SIR,—May I be permitted to reply to Mr Abdella and Nancy Cox on their letters on the subject of short-haul productivity? It seems that Mr Abdella is satisfied with the figures that the BEA accountants have given and that they do not "load" one route with costs from another, so causing this £460,000 loss on the Irish Sea routes. I am not so convinced as he is; in fact, it is hard to imagine how so much money could be lost when the total revenue for the Irish Sea routes was reported to be less than £600,000. If a loss of this size can be made by BEA how can the Minister continue to allow the corporation a virtual monopoly of all UK domestic services? Surely the independent airlines should be given their chance to make these domestic services profitable and let BEA concentrate on Europe. Regarding the statement by Mr Abdella that BEA crews operate 400 sectors in a working year, I did not know this figure; but if it is correct then the 915 sectors I operated certainly look like a more productive year's work for my company [Cambrian Airways Ltd—Ed]. I am sorry that Nancy Cox has not gained the correct impression from my earlier letter [December 2], when I stated that the points system under which BEA crews operate works against short-haul operations. Far from being against this system, I am sure it was brought about by independent scientific and medical research, and I for one would be all for its adoption by the Ministry as a new system to cover all UK pilots (with modifications in the light of BEA's experience). Nancy Cox ends with a typical day of 12|hr flown and asks "any takers?" for that day's work. There are plenty of takers, as well she knows. If there were not, then this type of day would not be worked by the pilots employed by this airline. Surely, if the day is not acceptable to these pilots they are at liberty to negotiate a better working day with their management. There are avenues for negotiation in every company; if not, then with the state of the pilot market at present one has the ultimate option of changing one's airline. Until pilots present a common front to their manage- ments to alter schedules such as the one mentioned, then there can be little sympathy for them; or maybe they like doing it? I know many pilots who never complain at a day's work such as this. I recollect working ten sectors and a 13$hr day not many years ago and I have survived. Southport, Lanes DAVID W. VERNON Domestic-service Inadequacies SIR,—I should like to point out to Mr Alun Evans, who wrote [December 16] about the inadequacy of domestic services, that as far as connections between South Wales and London are concerned a daily service has been operated by Morton Air Services between Swansea and Gatwick for the last five years. Apart from this correction, I fully endorse all that he says regarding the shortcomings of this country's internal air services. It is my opinion that the annual applications for fare increases by domestic carriers are a retrograde step, although I must point out that the operator men- tioned above is not a party to the current negotiations. I am well aware that operating economics can be used as an apparently irrefutable argument in support of fare increases, but where is the carrier who is prepared to operate a no-frills domestic network with a fare structure that will attract the frustrated road and rail users? The object should be to remove the "stigma" of luxury from air transport and cast the net so wide that travel by air will become commonplace. In deference to your request for letters to be kept as brief as possible, I refrain from expounding the cause of the long-suffering ratepayer, who is entided to look for- ward to a return on his investment in his local airport Fairwood, Swansea R. BAGSHAW, Manager, Swansea Airport. Wings Day Response From Marshal of The Royal Air Force Lord Tedder, OCB, DLC, LLD SIR,—In this, the 25th anniversary year of the Battle of Britain, I appealed to the public, in my capacity as president of the Royal Air Forces Association, asking for their generous support on Wings Day, September 18. We asked them to give generously and wherever possible to give their services, even if only for an hour or two, as collectors. The response has been wonderful. A total of just over £100,000 was collected during this appeal and will enable the Association to continue its extensive worldwide welfare work, including the maintenance of its homes for the sick and permanently and badly disabled. I would like your readers to know how deeply grateful we in the Association are to those who gave with such warm-hearted generosity. It all adds up to a good job well done, and as president I would like to pass on to them all our humble thanks and sincere gratitude. London W4 TEDDER, Marshal of the Royal A ir Force; President, the Royal Air Forces Association. Bespectacled Fighter SIR,—The picture of the bespectacled M Blanchet who flew a Breguet in the summer of 1911 (Roger Bacon's Straight and Level, November 25) set me hunting for another French pilot who made passes with glasses in the 1914-18 war. Roland Garros, flying a Morane- Saulnier single-seat fighter with deflector plates fitted to the base of his propeller blades, was officially credited with three victories (and two unconfirmed) before being forced to land behind the German lines with a dud engine. Although Garros set fire to his machine like a good Frenchman, his propeller was not sufficiently burned to hide the tell tale deflector plates and we all know what Anthony Fokker did as the result. What interests me is how many French airmen fought with glasses perched on their noses in the 1914-18 war. As for the 1939-45 war I know of only one example of a pilot (he flew a Westland Whirlwind twin-engined fighter) wearing glasses, and he used contact lenses. Birmingham 14 MAURICE AUSTIN Vostok Launchers SIR,—In a letter in Flight of December 16, Mr G. B. Bathurst wonders if, after all, Scrag might not be solid- fuelled, suggesting that the Soviets might have had an early breakthrough in the field of solid propulsion, "hence the surprisingly large payloads of the Vostoks, etc." However, in the dossiers supplied to the International Aeronautical Federation in support of claims for various Vostok records, the launchers were said to consume liquid oxygen and kerosene, the primitive propellants used in the American Atlas and Saturn boosters. I would also like to point out that, although it has been claimed that the Vostoks and Voskhods were lifted by sisters of Big Brother Scrag, this was not the type
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