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Aviation History
1966
1966 - 0072.PDF
46 WORLD^NEWS . . . over 50 years." The medal is awarded annually for the most meritorious achievement in British aviation during the year, and was donated by Mr Stephen Marples, co-founder of the League with Colonel H. S. Massy in 1909. Previous recipients comprise Tom Brooke-Smith, the Central Flying School and Dr Barnes Neville Wallis. Variety for the Motorist Forthcoming special issues of Autocar will have as their subjects Holidays Abroad (January 14) and the Racing Car Show (guide January 21, report January 28); the issue of the 28th will also report the Monte Carlo Rally. In the New Year Honours Last week we made brief reference to aviation personalities in the New Year Honours list. Below, in more detail, are extracts from the civil categories of the various orders. Knight Bachelor D. T. Jack, chairman, Air Transport Licensing Board, MoA. CMG E. I. R. MacGregor, Assistant Secretary, MoA. CBE J. A. Jaggers, Assistant Secretary, Atomic Weapons and Research, MoA; F. Pascoe, general manager and director, Ansett/Australian National Airways; W. Tye, chief technical officer, Air Registra- tion Board. FLIGHT International, 13 January I OBE J. W Allam, chief test pilot, Handley Page Ltd; K. N. E. Bradfield, Assistant Director-General (Ground Facili- ties), Department of Civil Aviation, Vic- toria, Australia; A. E. Bristow, managing director, Bristow Helicopters Ltd; R. F. Brown, chairman and managing director, Racal Electronics Ltd; G. H. Buckton, senior chief executive officer, Air Forces Middle East, MoD (RAF). C. W. Earp, chief engineer, Radio Division, Standard Telephones & Cables Ltd; Wg Cdr I. W. C. Mackenzie, chair- man, No 5 (F) (Northampton) Sqn, Air Training Corps; F. T. Maggs, principal scientific officer, Rocket Propulsion Estab- lishment, MoA; C. F. Pegg, for services to RAFA; K. M. P. Smale, deputy over- seas manager, Malcolm Clubs, RAF; P. F. R. Vaillant, manager, South America, BOAC; E. G. A. Williams, engineer grade 1, Guided Weapons and Electronic Produc- tion Division, MoA. MBE S. A. Beck, clerical assistant, MoA; J. C. Braben, senior executive officer, MoD (RAF); D. F. J. Brebner, experimental officer, RAF Institute of Aviation Medi- cine; Capt P. E. Bressey, senior captain, BEA; Miss J. Brocklebank, Careers In- formation Centre, Liverpool, MoD (RAF); L. A. Brook, chairman, No 96 (Dewsbury) Sqn Committee, Air Training Corps; C. D. Burnside, Air Survey Officer, N. Nigeria; A. H. G. Clarke, for services to ex-RAAF members. Sqn Ldr A. W. Day, secretary, Aero- drome Owners' Association; R. H. Doyle, formerly air traffic controller. Search and Rescue Section, Department of Civil Avia- tion, Victoria, Australia; H. H. S. Earney, technical clerk, grade 1, A&AEE, MoA; Miss A. R. Howieson, senior experimental officer, Waltham Abbey Explosives Research and Development Establishment, MoA- C. L. Jaggs-Jackson, clerical officer, RAF St Mawgan; T. Jenkins, fire service officer grade 1, HQ Far East Air Force; Sqn L<|| L. G. Johnson, past president, Pathfinder Association. 2 Obs Cdr E. G. J. W. Kent, Group Com.1 mandant, No 4 Gp, ROC; C. W. Lane chief production engineer, Ransome & Maries Bearing Co Ltd; Miss M. Mayo higher executive officer, MoD (RAF); ty' O'Connor, experimental officer, MoA- R. J. Parker, air traffic control officer grade 2, Liverpool, MoA; W. J. Scholl^ formerly Principal Supervisor of Aircraft Repair, Llangennech, MoD (RN); F. H Thomas, director and general manager (air- field). Flight Refuelling Ltd; J. M. Tufigno civilian welfare manager, Air HQ, Malta' Miss G. S. Turk, formerly superintendent of typists, RAE Farnborough. MVO (Royal Victorian Order) Sqn Ldr D. J. Checketts, RAF; Sqn Ldr J. SevernRAF. Imperial Service Order A. H. Glass, senior chief executive officer, MoA; W. T! Wyborn, chief executive officer, Mob (RAF). Queen's Commendation for Valuable Service in the Air Capt L. E. Alexander, senior Comet training captain, BEA; J. L. Barnes, chief test pilot, Bristol Siddeley Engines' Filton; Capt P. Brentnall, flight training manager, 707s (flight operations), BOAC; D. M. Knight, deputy chief test pilot. BAC; Capt J. Nicholl, flight training manager, VClOs (flight operations), BOAC. The Queen's Fire Service Medal S. W Sheat, Chief Officer, MoA Fire Service. management ROBERT BLACKBURN Scepticism about the value of theoretical management training is widespread in industry — especially among the busy, practical managers who are prepared to take decisions on their own initiative. Such an attitude is, I think, healthy and natural. It is exemplified by a story told to me recently about a group of airline executives undergoing a management course. The group in question formed one of three "syndicates" participating, according to current fashion, in a "busi- ness game" whereby they pretended to be three airlines in competition. The object of the game was to achieve the most profitable operation by taking the best decisions on available information. The group I refer to won the game by bending the rules slightly: it played its cards ruthlessly with the sole object of putting the other syndicates out of busi- ness, which aim it rapidly achieved. The winning group, I felt, displayed a highly realistic approach to life by turning a game situation, where every- thing is done by the book, into a busi- ness situation, where knowledge of the rules is a very inadequate formula for success. It is not my inference that management training is not valuable, rather that its value is greatest when its limitations are most clearly recognised. In my own experience and that of many friends and acquaintances, the best courses and conferences provide new information which stimulates, opportuni- ties to meet other people and enjoy con- versation with them and a refreshing break from routine—an occasion to sec one's problems in perspective. Scepticism notwithstanding, there are occasions when modern management theory is put into practice with strik- ingly effective results. One obvious ex- ample is PERT; another, less well known in this country than it should be, is IFC (Interfirm Comparison). IFC is a process whereby the performances of a number of firms are compared under a variety of headings. Comparison may take place between similar firms in one industry, or between similar functions of firms in different industries. Partici- pants need not necessarily disclose their identities: the information given may be contributed to and processed by a central trust. IFC was introduced in the German munitions industry in World War One, and by the end of World War Two it was being quite widely used as an aid to management in Continental Europe generally. It was virtually un- known in this country until 1959, when the British Institute of Management preached its virtues to industry and de- clared its intention to set up an IFC centre. Today it is providing a service for 40 industries, and the BIM believes that the practice of this particular management technique is now at least as advanced, if not more advanced, than in any other country. An old classic example of how IFC operates is the case of a comparison between various functions of seven iron foundries. One of the seven was puzzled by its difficulty in folding a competitive position: its plant was modern and its methods seemed so but its product cost was high. The comparison showed the reason: the firm's chief buyer was inefficient and he was paying too much for material, so the end product of factory "X" was handicapped from the start. Why, you may ask, should a successful and efficient firm give information which will help a competitor? The answer—proved by example, as IFC is not an airy-fairy theory but a working aid to manage- ment—must be that no one firm has» monopoly of good ideas, and the bene- fits of comparison outweigh the possible disadvantages. One of the benefits is *« IFC generates not merely sets of fig""* but a spirit of critical self-assessmem which is a vital part of management philosophy.
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