AIR TRANSPORT NEWS
Page 47
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INTERNAL AIR MAILS WITHOUT SURCHARGE.
In our issue dated July 20 we state( that the Postmaster-General was sells fled with the experiment of sendini, letter mail by air between Inverness and the Orkney Islands without extra charge, and that he was considering ar extension of internal air-mail services upon the same basis.
Our anticipation was correct, for Iasi week, too late for inclusion in our issue dated July 27, the Postmaster-General :announced his intention to establish air-mail services between centres in the British Isles, the first being London, Birmingham', Manchester, Belfast, the Isle of Man, •Glasgow, Liverpool, Cardiff, Bristol, Plymouth, Southampton and the Isle of Wight.
The mails are to be carried by the air services of the railway companies.. As we have already . announced, the railways are about to coml.-fleece regular operation on the London-Glasgow route, Via Birmingham, Manchester, the Isle of Man and Belfaet. They already operate daily services on the Plymouth-Haldon-Cardiff-BirminghamLiverpool, and Birmingham-BristolSouthampton-Cowes routes. In conjunction with the railways, Spartan Air Lines, Ltd., operates between London and Cowes.
Postcards and letters up to 2 oz. need bear no extra stamp, but must be• marked " By Air Mail," or have affixed
a blue air-mail label. Letters over 2 oz. will be charged ld. per oz. extra.
Stricter 13-licence Conditions.
The Air Ministry has made the important announcement that candidates for the B pilot's licence (commercial flying) must pass blincl-flying tests. A candidate must, without exterior view, maintain line of flight and carry out manceuvres by instruments alone for 30 minutes.
Expansion of R.A.F. Pilot Reserve.
The expansion of the Royal Air Force will provide fresh opportunities for men in civil life to learn flying. Young men of public or secondaryschool education, between 18 and 25 years of age, are to be admitted as airmen pilots, and 40 appointments are to be made at once for the commencement of training in September.
The initial course will comprise a fortnight's ground instruction, followed by 50 hours' flying, which normally would occupy about seven weeks. Airmen pilots may be allowed to break the course if they cannot take it continuously.
Additionally, applications are invited from civil pilots up to the age of 28, years who have 25 hours' flying experience and can pass a qualifying test. They are excused the initial training and are required only to perform the normal annual flying training of a reserve pilot-20 hours' flying, plus a period of training (if possible, continuous) of about 20 days.
After three years (about 100 hours' flying), airmen pilots may obtain a certificate of proficiency, and will he considered for commissions granted on a competitive basis. The only candidates eligible for appointment direct to commissions in the reserve will be university men who have qualified in one of the university squadrons.
The pay and allowances of airmen pilots during training are 16s. Gd. per day until qualified as pilots, and 17s. fid. thereafter. Qualified pilots also receive a reserve pay amounting to £23 10s. a year.
Amsterdam-Hull-Liverpool: No .Winter Service.
The intention of the IC.L.M. has, all along, been gradually to develop the Amsterdam-Hull-Liverpool air service, and the original plan did not contemplate operation during the winter of 1934-5. The service will, therefore, cease to operate on October 7. It will no doubt restart next spring, and will probably continue through the winter of 1935736. By that date, the available traffic should be much increased and the 'bad-weather flying equipment at aerodromes in the north of England is expected to have been greatly improved.
Up to the present, the traffic returns have been encouraging,. to say the least. NEW BIRMINGHAM-COWES SERVICE: TIMES AND FARES.
Railway Air Services, Ltd., started, on July 30, its new service (daily except Sundays) between Birmingham, Bristol, Southampton and Cowes. The departures from Castle Bromwich aero • drome are at 925 am. and 2 p.m., with arrival at Cowes (Somerton aerodrome) at 11.30 a.m. and 4.10 p.m. Departures from Cowes are at noon and 4.55 p.m., with arrival at Castle Bromwich at 2 p.m. and 6.55 p.m. Terminal transport by motorcar is included in the fares, which are as follow :—
Single. Return.
Birmingham-Bristol ... 25s. Od. 458. Oct.
Birmingham-Southamp
ton 35s. Od. 65s. Oct. Birmingham Cowes .. 40s. Od. 72s. 6d.
Bristol-Southampton 22s. Oct. 378. Oct. Bristol-Cowes .. 27s. 6d, 45s. Od.
Southampton-Cowes ... 58. Oct. 108. Od.
Air passengers may return by rail, and rail passengers may, upon payment of a supplement, return by air. The free luggage allowance is 35 lb., and the luggage-in-advance system is applicable. The service will operate until August 31.
The quickest. time by express train and boat from Birmingham to Cowes is 5 hrs. 55 mins., or more than three times that by air. Passengers connecting at Birmingham by the air service from Liverpool actually save 7 hrs. 5 mins. The journey from Bristol to Cowes is made in 50 mins., instead of 3 hrs. 53 mins. by rail and boat.
Exeter Airport Decision.
By a large .majority, Exeter City Council has approved the parchase of
• Watyrelade Farm, Clyst Honiton, for aerodrome purposes. Under • compulsory-purchase powers, the 188 acres will probably be obtained for £7,000, and £4,500 will be spent on works. The site is 4i miles from Exeter.
Hillman's New Airways.
In the week to July 27, Hillmans Airways, Ltd., carried 160 single-journey passengers on the London-Paris route, and 75 on the London-Belfast line, whilst 77 persons were given pleasure flights. The time-table announced by us on July 20 for the Belfast route holds good while the service continues to be flown by Dragon aeroplanes. At present, the one machine goes right through to Belfast and. back, no change being made at Liverpool.
The first of this company's order for Dragon Six aeroplanes (two Gipsy Six 200 h.p. engines) was delivered last week, and has made one return flight to Paris on the ordinary service. It flew, from Essex Airport to Le Bourget in 1 hr. 32 mins., against about 2 hre for the ordinary Dragon with Gipsy Major engines.
The traffic figures show an increase on those for the week ended July 21. a35