AIR TRANSPORT NEWS
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Jersey Air Service Started by Coachbuilder and Bus Operator.
Last Monday (December 1S), Jersey Airways, Ltd., commenced its daily air service between Portsmouth and Jersey. The single fare is £1 12s. 6d. and. the return fare £2 15s. The departure from Portsmouth is at 10 a.m., and that from St. Aubin's Bay at 11.30 a.m., the trip taking about 1 hour. Dragons are being used. There is at present no Sunday service.
The capital and enterprise in this new venture have been provided by Mr. W. L. Thurgood, of Park Road, Ware, Hertfordshire. Mr. Thurgood is well known as a coachbuilcter and the pioneer of the People's Motor Services, Ltd., of Ware. He disposed of his interest in the latter to London Transport on November 30 and has quickly reinvested his capital in passenger carrying.
Mr. Thurgood will continue to give active attention to the coachbuilding side of his business, which remains under the same management as before; the latest bodywork models have met with a good demand and orders are being booked now for the coming season. His Easiway folding roof for coaches is known to our readers.
The. object of starting the air service inwinter is the sound one of obtaining several months of experience in scheduled operation before the season of heavier traffic. One of our staff travelled to Jersey and back last Friday on a preliminary flight and, with a following wind, the actual open-sea crossing from the Isle of Wight to the French coast near Cherbourg was made in 281, minutes, the machine being at no time more than 30 miles from land. The steamship crossing takes about nine hours, the first-class fares being at 13s. 6d. single and £2 13s. 6d. return, and the thirdclass fares £1 Is. single and £1 14s. 6d. return.
Oil Engines for Aircraft.
Following the article which we published on the above subject in our issue dated July 7, our associated journal, The Oil Engine, in its December issue has an interesting article by Wing-Comn Cave-Browne-Cave, M.I.Mech.E. He quotes interesting figures from data supplied by D. Napier, and Son, Ltd., comparing the fuel consumptions of the standard Napier Lion X1A petrol engine (column A in the table below), a Lion engine modified for long-range flight (B), and the Junkers Jumo IV two-stroke aero oil engine now being developed by the Napier concern in a slightly The Pentland Firth air-ferry promoters are offering Christmas excursions from the Orkneys to the south.
Hillman's Paris Traffic Improved.
Hillman's Airways, Ltd., carried 64 single-journey passengers on the Romford-Paris daily air service in the week to December 15, and the schedule was again regularly maintained, despite difficult weather. Mr. Hillman a few days ago expressed the view that for the development of internal air lines 'considerable extension of wireless facilities is necessary. Last week Hillman machines made charter flights to Torquay and to Digby, Lincolnshire.
London-Derby-ManchesterGlasgow Service Planned.
London, Scottish and Provincial Airways, Ltd., 52, Grosvenor Gardens, London, SW 1, plans to commence in March with Airspeed Couriers a I50-m.p.h. service between London, Derby, Manchester and Glasgow. Mr. C. S. Bell is the principal organizer of the scheme. It is hoped to run three journeys daily, and fares will be about 30 per cent. above first-class rail fares. A Derby-Hull line, to connect with the proposed K.L.M. Hull-Amsterdam service is a possible development.
B.A.N. Co. Service to Continent.
On December 17 at Heston the new Ford Trimotor 5AT all-metal 11passenger monoplane with Marconi wireless equipment was christened " The Voyager." It is one of the largest aeroplanes in ngland to be operated principally on charter work. The same day a regular fortnightly service to Sestrieres, the Italian wintersports centre, was inaugurated.
Important Airspeed News.
Airspeed, Ltd., Portsmouth Airport, advises that an important development for next season will be a twinertgined machine called the AS6, with two Wolseley AR9 engines; with lavatory and luggage accommodation, it will carry six or seven passengers, and the speed will be slightly greater than that of the Courier.
Customs Facilities at Gravesend.
Permission by ILM. Customs has just been granted to Gravesend Airport to clear passengers outwards as well as inwards.' This facility is of considerable importance, for, by either train or coach, Gravesend Airport is only 50 mins. (about 22 miles) from the West End of London. Gravesend is, except for Croydon, the nearest aerodrome to London on the south side of the Thames which has customs facilities. The airport has wellequipped workshops, restaurant and sleeping accommodation, a hangar fors large commercial craft is being constructed by A. and A. J. Law, Ltd.