AIR TRANSPORT NEWS
Page 41
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MR. SWORD RETIRING FROM AIR TRANSPORT.
Mr. John Sword, proprietor of Midland and Scottish Air Ferries, Ltd., states that he is discontinuing. his airtransport activities. Mr. Sword is well known to our readers as the man who built up bus services in south-west Scotland, and then sold out his interest to the Scottish Motor Traction Co., Ltd., some 21 years ago, for about £200,000.
He has since remained general manager of the Western S.M.T. Co., Ltd., and on March 10, 1933, formed a separat& company to run air services. This company now has a fleet of 17 aircraft and operates scheduled services between Glasgow and Belfast, Glasgow and Islay, Glasgow and London, and Belfast and London.
Mr. Sword finds that air-transport operation demands close and persistent personal supervision, and this, due to his bus-organizing duties, he has never been in a position to give. Mr. Edward Hillman, who, for some months, has ably looked after the London end of the business, is ready to operate the London-Belfast service when Mr. Sword stops working that route, probably in a week or two.
Mr. Hillman does not propose to run to Glasgow, because the time saving is not so marked as to Belfast. Mr. Sword's services from Glasgow to Belfast and Islay will probably cease in September. For the time being, he is retaining one or two machines with which to operate the air-ambulance service that has become so important to the western islands and other remote parts of Scotland.
S.M.T. Intentions.
Because there has sometimes been confusion between the Scottish Motor Traction Co., Ltd., and Midland and Scottish Air Ferries, Ltd., the former company wishes to emphasize that it intends to continue the work it inaugurated nearly two years ago, in building up in a moderate, but sound, way, air-transport services in Scotland.
By reason of its relationship with the railway, the S.M.T. company cannot operate scheduled services, but it has aeroplanes at several centres in both east and west Scotland, and undertakes private-charter flying. The air superintendent, Mr. N. M. S. Russell, has his headquarters at East Fountainbridge, Edinburgh, 3.
Ringway Aerodrome for Manchester?
As we close for press it is expected that the decision of Manchester Airport Committee to abandon further development of Barton aerodrome (on which 00,000 has been spent) and to purchase a new site at Ringway, near Altrincham (which with development will cost £180,000), will be announced before the end of this week.
When the K.L.M. rejected Barton as a terminus for its air service to Amsterdam, the corporation called in aeronautical consultants, whose report shows that two fundamental disadvantages of the Barton site make it unworthy of further development. These are soft ground and liability to fog.
The general feeling of the committee is that with the likelihood of Atlantic services, and of more services across England to the Continent, a town of Manchester's importance must have a first-rate airport.
Essex Airport Traffic.
Hillmans Airways, Ltd., reports that in the weeks ended June 29 and July 6 respectively, 167 and 187 passengers were carried on the London (Essex Airport)-Paris service.
Heston's Increasing Importance.
Traffic figures issued by Airwork, Ltd., show that, at Heston Airport, in June, in the daily control periods (1030 a.m. to 8.30 p.m.), take-offs and landings of aircraft, added together, numbered 3,932. Of these 1,382 were commercial machines. In the month Jersey Airways, Ltd., handled 922 passengers at Ireston, P.S.I.o.W.A.. Ltd., 475, and B.A.N. Co., Ltd., 208.
Rising Spithead Figures.
In the week ended July 5, Portsmouth, Soutbsea and Isle of Wight Aviation, Ltd., carried 1,269 singlejourney passengers on its services between Portsmouth and the Isle of Wight ; also 130 passengers on its London (Heston)-Rycle-Shanklin line. Charter flights were made to Paris, Newbury, London and Bournemouth. The company now carries The Evening News and The Evening Standard every day to the Isle of Wight.
Speke Improvements to Cost £66,000.
The finance committee of Liverpool Corporation, under the chairmanship of Sir Thos. White, recently decided, subject to the approval of the city council, to proceed at once with floodlighting Speke Airport, the illumination of high buildings and structures in the neighbourhood of Speke, and the provision of beacon lights ; also the appropriation of some land and the diversion of roads for local development.
The cost of immediate work will be about £6,000, and altogether £66,000 is earmarked in this year's estimates for developments at Speke.
The municipal officials who recently visited Amsterdam, Berlin and Hamburg seemed to have been most impressed with the layout and operation of Hamburg Airport, and Speke will probably be developed on the same lines, but with new ideas. MANY MUNICIPALITIES INTERESTED IN AERODROMES.
Watford borough engineer has submitted the consultant's report on the selection of a site for a municipal aerodrome for Watford. The financial committee has recommended sending the report to the Air Ministry for observations.
Blackpool Aerodrome Committee has instructed the borough electrical engineer to prepare specifications for a flood-lighting system for the municipal aerodrome.
Swansea Corporation has instructed the borough engineer to report upon further possible aerodrome sites. Confirming the view he expressed last October, the engineer recommends employing a consultant.
Lancaster, Morecambe and Heysham Joint Aerodrome Committee recommends reserving an aerodrome site in the Lancaster area.
Yarmouth Corporation has received a letter from the local Chamber of Com merce requesting further consideration of the need for an aerodrome for Yarmouth and Gorleston.
Hull town clerk has received a letter from the K.L.M. company regarding the continuation of the Hull-Amsterdam air service during the winter, and about the necessary improvements to the airport.
Eastbourne Council may appoint a special committee to consider the provision of an aerodrome.
York Corporation is to purchase compulsorily 162 acres in the parishes cf • Rawcliffe and Clifton Without, to provide an aerodrome.
Northampton Corporation has received a letter from Sir Josiah Stamp stating that the London, Midland and Scottish Railway Co. does not at present intend to provide an aerodrome in the Northampton area, and that, in aerodrome matters, municipal authorities should take such steps as are necessary.
Swindon Corporation has instructed Major J. Kidston Allsop, M.Inst.C.E., to advise on suitable sites for a municipal aerodrome.
Manchester Airport Committee has agreed to the terms of Liverpool Corporation for extending Manchester wireless and meteorological services to Liverpool Air Port by Teleprinter.
A Liverpool-Plymouth Acceleration.
As from July 4, the daily southbound service of Railway Air Services, Ltd., from Liverpool to Birmingham, Cardiff and Plymouth has been accelerated so as to permit passengers to connect at Plymouth with the G.W.R. express train at 6.45 p.m. to the Cornish resorts. This will enable passengers to travel right through from Liverpool to Penzance in 6 hrs., or Birmingham to Penzance in 5 hrs. 10 mins.