AIR TRANSPORT NEWS
Page 53
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RADIO-ASSISTED LANDING SYSTEMS INVESTIGATED.
Mr. Roderick Denman, the aeronautical wireless specialist and technical director of Airwork, Ltd., the proprietary company of Heston Airport, is making a study of experimental radio-assisted landing systems, which are now being tried out in Europe and the United States. He has paid a visit to Amsterdam at the invitation of the K.L.M. authorities and inspected the landing beacon which has recently been installed at Schiphol Airport. He took part in hooded flights over the beacon, which effectively demonstrated its capabilities.
Mr. Denman states that within two years our Netherland friends will have eight beacons of this type in operation. Before leaving Holland, he visited the Philips factory at Hilversum, where a different type of beacon, operated by sound-film apparatus, is being tested.
Isle of Wight Traffic: Further Big Increase.
For the week to June 14, 1,020 single-journey passengers were carried on the air ferry run by Portsmouth, Southsea and Isle of Wight Aviation, Ltd., between Portsmouth, Ryde and ShankIna, also 130 passengers were carried on the Heston-Ryde-Shanklin line. For the first two weeks in June the Heston-line traffic was five times that of May 1-14.
One passenger, recently, was a lady of 86 who had flown from the Orkney Islands to London, and then flew to the Isle of Wight and back in a day. Charter flights were made during the week to Norwich, Bristol and Southampton.
A Barnstaple-Lundy Island Service.
On May 17 the Air Ministry granted to Messrs. R. T. Boyd and T. W. J. Nash a inablic-use licence for Heanton Court Aerodrome, Barnstaple, North Devon. A licence has also been granted for a site on Lundy Island, and paSsengers have been carried to and fro. _ The intention is to run return services at 10 a.m. and 5 p.m., also hourly during the clay, as required, and to charge 12s. 6d. return. A Monospar twin-engined 'machine is used at present as the sea crossing is about 16 miles.
Imperial Excursions to Le Touquet.
The Sunday return trips to Le Totsquet which were popular last year will again be operated by Imperial Airways, Ltd., this summer, and there is no doubt that the use of Handley Page 42s or Short Scylla-type aircraft, combined with the low fares charged and the excellent service, will make the Imperial excursions particularly popular.
A start was made on June 17, and every Sunday the departure from Croydon is to be at 9.45 a.m., with arrival at Berck (for Le Touquet) at 10.50 a.m. The return fare is only £3 15s. and this includes entrance to the Casino and tea there, also dinner on board the air liner on the return flight.
Air-minded "Midland Red" Men.
A few days ago 31 employees of the Birmingham and Midland Motor Omnibus Co., Ltd., travelled to Heston Airport in one of their own roaches for a taste of flying. Mr. W. Cook, who was a war-time pupil, at Cramlington, of Captain V. H. Baker, the chief Air-work flying instructor, was in charge of the party. The Dragon of Messrs. Wrightson and Pearse gave pleasure flights and the men were shown all over the servicing and other departments at the airport.
Hillman's Figures.
In the week to June 15 Hillmans Airways, Ltd., carried 121 passengers on its London (RomfonI)-Paris air line. Charter flights were made to Croydon andIpswich, and 35 persons were given pleasure flights at Romford.
Heston Traffic.
In the week ended June 13, the officials at the new traffic hall at Heston Airport handled 174 arrivals and departures of aircraft for the Continent or for internal commercial traffic. Internal private traffic is, of course, not required tp " clock in" at the office, although the control officer registers all arrivals and departures from his tower.
Pleasure flights are becoming brisker at the 1A7eek-ends, and admissions to the public enclosure are in the order of 300 each week-end. About 50 per cent. of the visitors take tickets for conducted tours of the airport.
MANCHESTER AND THE AMSTERDAM SERVICE.
It is now clear that the Amsterdam Hull Liverpool service, which started at the end of May, has demonstrated to Alderman Sutton and Alderman Titt, of Manchester Airport Committee, that it is rather a serious matter for Manchester to be omitted as a port of call from this important international service.
Liverpool Airport (Speke) is used as the western terminus, because it has a satisfactory landing ground, but Manchester cannot be included, because its airport at Barton is not adequate for regular use by a thorough-going commercial service employing large
machines such as are employed on this new service.
This fact would probably never have been sufficiently impressed upon Manchester Airport Committee had not K.L.M. decided to make use of Liverpool. Alderman Sutton sees the possibilities of offering the important Manchester business community a 3i-hour connection to the principal Continental air lines and railway services at Amsterdam. In fact, a few days ago, he told the city council that the committee was looking for an alternative aerodrome site capable of more serious developments than Barton.
Heavier Jersey Traffic.
Jersey Airways, Ltd., reports continued traffic development on the Heston-Jersey and Portsmouth-Southampton-Jersey routes. On Saturday, June 16, the morning and afternoon departures from Heston comprised six Dragon loads, and on Sunday there were four. From Portsmouth and Southampton the Saturday departures comprised 10 Dragon loads, and the Sunday departures seven. Nearly all the seats were filled.