FlightGlobal.com
Home
Premium
Archive
Video
Images
Forum
Atlas
Blogs
Jobs
Shop
RSS
Email Newsletters
You are in:
Home
Aviation History
1946
1946 - 2095.PDF
.. A OCTOBER iyra, 1946 FLIGHT 429 ACCIDENT PREVENTIONS THE Air Ministry Directorate of Accident Prevention haveproduced a film to show how every member of the K.A.F. is concerned in the prevention of accidents. The title-of the rilm is We Are All In It, and the story is written around a Group Capt. of the Directorate and an officer who has re- ported to him for duty as an Accident Prevention Adviser. To explain the function of the department, several typical accidents are run through in customary flashback technique, and very interesting and impressive they are. The film is not so much concerned with general flying accidents as with those which are attributable to a combina- tion of incidents, so emphasizing that every man and woman can behave in such a manner that, without knowledge of so doing, they contribute to accidents. The lesson is not limited to those in the R.A.F.—in fact not even to aircraft accidents only, but may be applied to almost any sphere. It would obviously be unwise for the layman to see some of the inci- dents, but the personnel at civil airports would certainly benefit, because it is so easy for familiarity to breed carelessness. The incidents are most realistic and some of the actual crashes quite disturbing to watch. A Mosquito attempts a belly landing after the pilot realizes that his petrol tanks are nearly empty, and the result is a complete write-off after slithering sideways off the runway across a field and through a hedge. Many small contributing incidents occur before the pilot allows himself to take off in a hurry without properly examining the F.700—and that is the moral of the film. Other incidents include a burst tyre—as a result of "turning on one wheel"—a lorry being driven round the perimeter track crashing into a Lancaster which is unlighted and being towed by a tractor in the opposite direction, and, also, the occurrence known to so many on a badly-sited airfield, when aircraft, af'er landing, disappear over a hump and are not visible to the A.C.P.. with the result that, if the first is delayed on the runway, a following aircraft may crash into it. The film, which will have a compulsory showing to rll members of the R.A.F., should do much to make everyone accident-conscious. >» R.A.F. CONTRIBUTION TO CIVIL AVIATION THE Royal Air Force, in developing the routes to the East,has made a great contribution to the progress of transport flying in the Eastern Theatre. R A.F. aircrew who have had personal experience of flying in weather peculiar to tropical climates give detailed briefing to the civil airline crews now operating on the trunk routes. Signals facilities, weather fore- casting and information in connection with emergency landing grounds and visual and radio aids to navigation—in fact, the signals route book prepared by a special branch of the Air Force in South East Asia containing frequencies, call signs and characteristics of special aids to navigation in Malaya, naviga- tion route sheets and coloured airfield location map drawings and runway layouts, are now all made available to the civil pilots. The R.A.F. signals channels are organized to allow civil airline aircraft continuous communication with the ground air traffic control, ensuring diversions to emergency landing grounds when necessary. B.O.A.C., Qantas Empire Airways and K.L.M. are amongst those who avail themselves of these R.A.F. services. STINSON INTERIOR : American light aircraft, in common with automobiles, offices and bathrooms, are suffering from the attentions of the "styling " experts. Here is the some- what idealised interior of the new Stinson Voyager 150 FROM THE CLUBS After six months ol operation, the Luton Flying (kit), which opened on March 2nd, now has 150 iull flying members, while the club's fleet has increased quite considerably. Starting with two D.H. Tigers in March, there are now four of this type, two Proctors and an Auster available, while a Link trainer might also be included. As far as ab tnitio flying is concerned, lorty- two pupils have gone solo and thirty-eight have obtained their "A" licences, while, needless to say, there have been a num- ber of renewals amongst those whose flying had lapsed. * • • Aerosudest, which has an aircraft factory at Cannes (Alpes Maritimes) will shortly be opening a service station on the airfield there for the benefit of private aircraft pilots as well as charter services. The Society propose to carry a stock of suitable spares for British aircraft, and to oiler the neces- sary maintenance facilities. In the meantime, so that in- formation can be sent to the different clubs, secretaries are asked to get in touch with the Society's liaison engineer at- 39, Fitzroy Square, London, W. 1. # * # In spite of the almost continuous gale conditions which have been particularly severe on the seaboard, the South Coast Flying Club at Shoreham has, since its reopening three months ago, put in some 350 hours' flying with an Auster and two Tiger Moths. There have been eleven ab mitio soloists and the first pupil to obtain his "A" licence has now, in fact, bought his own aircraft and has recently flown it to Switzerland. Judging from the well-known personalities who have made use of the facilities at Shoreham, this airfield appears to be regaining most of its pre-war popularity. BREVITIES Air France have started a service, daily with the exception of Sunday, between London and Basle, using Dakotas. * * # . B.E.A. announce that a bar service is now provided on all their aircraft, and passengers may purchase alcoholic drinks and table waters. This is in addition to the free refreshments which are served in flight. Known to many as the Public Relations Officer of the* Ministry of Civil Aviation since its formation, Mr. Harold Champion has recently resigned to take up a somewhat similar appointment with British Aviation Services. He is shortly to start on an extensive overseas tour. wh Panair do Brazil have started a weekly flight from Rio de Janeiro, via Africa and Lisbon, to Rome. The Lisbon to Rome section will make connections with the Pan American service from New York to Lisbon. * # * / It is understood that the Pan American Atlantic Division has flown, since February, 1943, over eleven million miles and carried more than ninety-four thousand passengers. . • * • • British South American Airways have started an additional service between London and Rio de Janeiro. Using Yorks, the service is scheduled to leave London Airport on Saturday morning and to arrive in Rio de Janeiro on Sunday evening. following geographical names in the British Empire have been adopted by B.O.A.C. for the fleet of Yorks operating between Britain and the Middle East, India and South Africa: Marlborough, Monmouth, Melbourne, Murchison, Melrose, Melville, Mandalay, Madras, Marston, Malta, Morecambe, Moray, Montgomery, Montrose, Malvern, Marlow, Medway, Milford and Mersey. Some may consider the Imperial touch in naming the Yorks to be more in keeping with the dignity of the Corporaton than the " label " Speedbird, which has been adopted for the services and routes. / * - # * Australian National Airways claim to have created a world record for internal services for the year ending June 30th, 1946, during which time fifteen million miles were flown and 394,000 passengers were carried
Sign up to
Flight Digital Magazine
Flight Print Magazine
Airline Business Magazine
E-newsletters
RSS
Events