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Aviation History
1961
1961 - 1879.PDF
FLIGHT, 28 December 1961 993 200 120 80 40 O / / / PA PAS X SSE / SEN( ,00 NGE 3ERS 3 RS- s \ 1.0C \ \ o.oc / / i f 30 600 Nothing illustrates the Avioco's recession, and recent recovery, more clearly than the graph (left) showing the development of its passenger traffic. The other graph illustrates cargo results 700 000 500 400 3O0 200 1OO 1949 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 > , FHtlOHl /(tonne kmxv \ 1,000) 1 / 1 1 1f A MAIL ! tonleknr /j 1 I x1,C \ 00) 1940 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 6O they averaged only one-third full; and in any case they comprisedbut a small share of Aviaco's total activities. The more important domestic traffic had by 1959 collapsed to half the peak 1956 level. The first drastic step was to halve the issued capital of the airlinefrom PslOOm to Ps50m, the management recognizing the extent to which accumulated losses had eroded the value of the enterprise.Next, Iberia came in and invested PslOOm in the recapitalized venture, giving the national airline a controlling two-thirds share inAviaco, the balance being shared between INI and the original shareholders. Although this gave Iberia, through its majoritycontrol, the opportunity of acquiring complete control, the trans- action was predicated on the assumption that Aviaco would beallowed to continue independently with its own separate and dis- tinct personality. With the active support and encouragement of Iberia, Aviaco'sfortunes quickly began to mend. With cash in the kitty, it now became possible to modernize the fleet, this process being startedby the purchase of three Convair 440s from Sabena, and the with- drawal from service of the Languedoc fleet. As the Convairs wereidentical with those already operated by Iberia, it was possible to rationalize the engineering activities of the two companies. And,of course, the Metropolitan happens to be ideal for the denser routes operated by Aviaco. Appropriately, a Metropolitan isshown on the cover of Aviaco's 1960 report, for this aircraft was largely responsible for restoring the public's faith in the airline. Thiswas shown by a doubling of domestic traffic in 1960 as compared with 1959, in a single year restoring the volume of business to thepeak 1957 level. Further proof is provided by the enthusiasm shown by Aviaco staff for the Convair, and the ordering of subse-quent aircraft. Another invaluable form of aid from Iberia was the strengtheningof the sales position which resulted from the fact that Iberia now had an incentive to sell Aviaco services through its many salesoutlets. This allowed the name of Aviaco to be brought before an infinitely wider audience than had previously been possible. During the initial period of modernization, Aviaco has dependedlargely on chartered aircraft. Its Palma network is now operated entirely by three Iberia Bristol 170s, Aviaco's own Bristol fleethaving been transferred down to the Spanish Sahara for charter operations in conjunction with prospecting for oil. Similarly, thecharter of Iberia's DC-3s has enabled a decision to be taken to withdraw the uneconomic Heron fleet from service. The otherparty from which Aviaco charters capacity is the Belgian national airline, Sabena, which operates Brussels - Barcelona and Brussels-Madrid - Canary Islands on behalf of Aviaco, using a 72-seat DC-6B in the colours of the Spanish airline. Sabena also operate their ownservices out of Brussels, the revenue from the joint operation being pooled between the two partners. Had it not been for the accord reached between Aviaco andIberia, there might well have been difficulties when Iberia's route charter became due for re-consideration last year; as it was, acompromise was found which suited both parties and gave Aviaco an assured place in Spanish civil aviation, alongside Iberia. Thisopened up the way for several new routes—such as Madrid/ Brussels and Palma/Nice—which will further strengthen the basis ofAviaco's economy. Finally the airline has been encouraged to enter the charter market and in I960, for the first time, Aviacocornered a substantial share of the UK. inclusive-tour market. This share continued to expand last summer, and is certain todevelop even more substantially next year because of the failure of British travel agents to conclude satisfactory arrangements withsome of their own country's independents. These developments resulted in an increase in traffic and revenuesin 1960 of some 70 per cent compared with 1959, accompanied by a dramatic transformation from heavy loss in 1959 to slight profit in1960. Although this improvement shows no sign of slackening. Aviaco remains still a relatively small airline by internationalstandards with current revenues running at a level just below £2m a year. But the fact that really matters is that it is now efficientand thriving, and a proud and worthy bearer of the Spanish flag. THE NAVY'S AIRLINE (continued from page 991) helicopter pilot. The squadron's Herons and Doves are flown witha two-man crew, the second member being an aircrewman (rating observer) who has responsibility for navigation and also for seeingthat passengers and freight are manifested. The five aircrewmen on 781 are CPOs A. Donaldson, S. Lock, M. Dwane, G. Wilks, andPO P. McCarthy. With squadron aircrew away on flying duties most of the time it was found essential for continuity to have some-one in the office who could deal with requests for air transport and also provide a continuous ground link for squadron membersabsent from their home base. This role has been efficiently filled for the past 11 years by the civilian Staff Officer, Mr Tom J. Cooper,whose aplomb in answering requests for transport never varies, whether he is engaged in dealing with an admiral or commander orCPO. The squadron's engineering officer is Sub Lt D. Barrow and the maintenance (since March 16, 1959) has been carried out bycivilians, apart from five Naval ratings who are responsible for the Whirlwind, Sea Hawk and Vampire. Maintenance of the "Admiral'sbarge" Devon is the special responsibility of CPO Gaitch. The squadron's respect for their civilian maintenance personnel cannotbe too highly emphasized, for the aircraft are always ready when required for their duties and there is a high rate of usage—320hrflying in October being typical, while in summertime the squadron is even busier. Average monthly flying time for the pilots is 50hr,though on occasions it may be much higher. The record is held by Lt L. A. Cox, who during the Suez operations did 92 hours' flyingin a month. RNAS Lee-on-Solent, most historic of Fleet Air Arm airfields,provides the squadron with a base airfield which has three runways —short by jet standards (1,430, 1,000 and 1,100yd) but adequate forDove and Heron operations—and CR/DF facilities. The Solent at the edge of the airfield provides a natural safety lane in poor weatherconditions. The airfield is run by Airwork Services Ltd, with Mr H. H. Simpson (an ex-lieutenant commander in the FleetAir Arm) as airfield manager. Navy Works are responsible for the surfaces. The ship's name for Lee is HMS Ariel, which is the centre forNaval air electrical training and the home of a varied collection of units. These include MARTSU (Mobile Air Repair, Towing andSalvage Unit); Fleetlands aircraft repair unit and its associated test flight; AIU (Accident Investigation Unit); EHU (Engine HoldingUnit); NARIU (National Air Radio Installation Unit) and NAMDU (Naval Air Maintenance Development Unit)—a formid-able display, for the uninitiated, of Naval hieroglyphics. Lee also recently became the headquarters of the new Inter-Service Hover-craft Development Unit. 781 Sqn operated in East Africa during the war, as a FleetRequirements Unit; its association with Lee-on-Solent began in 1945. At that time, and for some years subsequently, it wasmainly a training unit; only since 1954 has it been almost entirely engaged on communications duties. Even now, with the Herons,its carrying capacity is somewhat limited: when a rugby team was taken from Culdrose to Lossiemouth recently, to play in the FleetAir Arm final, two of the members had to travel up by train. But 781's work is a specialized form of air transport; and the squadronhas established a fine reputation for the reliability, punctuality and versatility of its services.
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