AIR TR ANSPORT NEWS Hull-Amsterdam Service : Importance to Air Transport in This Country.
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Further information about the proposed K.L.M. Hull-Amsterdam air service (last referred to in this paper on November 10) is to hand. Consideration is being given to a possible midday service from Hull in addition to the 7 a.m. departure. This would enable morning services from Manchester, Newcastle, Liverpool, etc., to connect so that passengers might reach Copenhagen or Malmo the same day. It is hoped that the fast connection between Hull and the Continent will make it worth while for air-transport concerns in Britain to operate connecting lines from various big business centres, such as Glasgow, Belfast, Dublin, Manchester, Liverpool, Birmingham and Newcastle.
Cardiff Corporation to Encourage Air Services.
At the November meeting of Cardiff City Council there has been a discussion on the development of Cardiff aerodrome by increasing the use made of it by passenger-carrying and commercial aeroplanes. It was stressed that there must be an increase in the use of the aerodrome, especially by commercial aircraft, in order to make it pay. The aerodrome was stated to be already one of the finest in the country and it could he further improved. It was said that to date nearly £30,000 had been spent on the provision of the aerodrome.
A new development and publicity committee was appointed, additional to the aerodrome management committee, to take steps to develop air services, both passenger and freight-carrying, from Cardiff.
Air-service Competition Felt in Scotland.
At a sitting of the Southern Scotland Traffic Commissioners a few days ago an objector to an application for a roadservice licence to run a bus service between Port Askaig and Bowniore, stated that many people were nowadays travelling by air between Glasgow and Islay, and even the boat service was affected by this new competition.
Heston Fog-free Again.
On November 16 the Imperial Airways' four-eugined liner " Boratius " from Paris and a three-eugined Junkers' machine from Berlin landed comfortably within a few minutes of one another at Heston Aieport, having been advised by wireless that visibility at Croydon was 40 yards. By the time they arrived an Imperial Airways motor coaeh was waiting. " Horatius " made Croydon later, but the German machine stopped the night and left next morning with eight passengers for Berlin. Frequently evidence is coming to hand this autumn of fog freedom at Heston.
Latest Aerodrome Schedules.
In the November supplement (No. 50)' to The Air Pilot (Volume I) the Air .Ministry publishes schedules for Leeming landing ground and Rockford aerodrome. The former belongs to William Jackson (Sunderland), Ltd., Newton House Hotel, Londonderry, Leeming, North Yorks, and is restricted to certain types of aircraft. The latter belongs to Mr. L. C. Evans, 76, Crow
stone Road, Westcliff-on-Sea, is 3i miles north of Southend and is restricted to certain types of craft.
New aerodromes and landing grounds are announced, including Addington (five miles east by south of Croydon Airport, controlling authority British Air Transport, Ltd.), Campbeltown (Midland and Scottish Air Ferries, Ltd.), Cirencester (Westgate Motor House Co., Ltd.), Inverness (the Royal Borough of Inverness), Leamington (Mr. J. E. Bonniksen), and St. Albans (Mr. V. N. Dickinson). Full descriptions will be published later in supplements to The Air Pilot.
Control of Aviation: Committee's Work.
Airwork, Ltd., proprietor of Heston Airport, has given evidence before the committee which, under Lord Gorell as chairman, is inquiring into the measure of control over civil aviation which is exercised by the Air Ministry. The company advocated abolition of the ground engineer's licence and the appointment instead of a licensed craftsman, who must show by tests that he was capable of overhauling with his own hands certain types of craft.
The company also advocated a distinction between private and public-service aircraft with regard to Certificates of Airworthiness, recommending abolition of the complete annual overhaul for the private machine and a quarterly inspection for the 'commercial aeroplane.
Thirdly, Airwork, Ltd., -pressed for power to be placed in the hands of aerodrome authorities to restrain a pilot from flying, should there be due cause. American Plan for Floating Aerodromes in MidAtlantic.
Some years ago we were permitted to examine drawings of a " seadrome " or floating refuge for aircraft which Mr. E. R. Armstrong, formerly of the Du Pont company, of America, had invented for the purpose of providing air stations in the Atlantic. The American authorities are now seriously discussing schemes for the construction of such " seadromes," one scheme being to divide a route between America and Spain into six 600-mile flights.
The proposal is to use three-deck " seadromes' " the top deck being over above100 ft. above sea-level, 1,225 ft. long and 300 ft. wide at the centre, tapering to 150 ft. at the ends. Each " island " would be moored to a buoy, which would be connected by a steel cable to a 150ton reinforced concrete anchor.
Lower "Air-Taxi" Fares from Edinburgh.
Dumfries Town Council is to consider the question of providing a municipal aerodrome. Midland and Scottish Air Ferries, Ltd. has now a new landing ground in Islay on the Machrie side of Bridgend. Air fares from Edinburgh to Renfrew are being reduced 25 per cent. by the Scottish Motor Traction Co., Ltd., The new rates will be 9d. per mile for the Fox Moth three-seater machine and is. 6d. per mile for the Dragon Moth six-seaters.
Air-traffic Control at Croydon.
The system of marshalling aircraft in flight whenever visibility is bad, to which reference was made in this paper on October 20, came into force, by agreement with the principal operating companies, last Sunday. When visibility is less than 1,000 ft. vertically or 1,000 yds. horizontally, visual and wireless notice is issued that the control is in foree. Thereafter no aircraft may enter the Croydon zone without the sanction and direction (by wireless or ground telephone) of the Croydon control officer. The zone has a radius of about 10 miles and is defined. When conditions suggest that the control is in force aircraft must approach the zone by direct course above or in the clouds, or follow prescribed routes if below the clouds.
If successful the scheme may be given legal force.
Imperial Airways: Better Freight Figures.
In the six months April-September, 1933, Imperial Airways, Ltd., carried on European and Empire routes 910,015 lbs of freight, against 798,871 lb. during a similar period in 1932. On Empire routes alone an increase of 40 per cent. was recorded. Apart from delicate goods like wireless parts, glassware, etc., considerable quantities of samples with quotations are now being sent by air, whilst urgent goods like medicines, fashion articles, machinery spare parts, etc., are increasingly flown abroad.