AIR TRANSPORT NEWS
Page 47
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DEATH OF MR. E. H. HILLMAN.
WE regret to announce the death of Mr. Edward Henry Hillman, on December 31, after a brief illness. His death removes a pioneer of passenger services by road and air, a man of exceptional organizing ability, extreme frankness and practical resourcefulness.
Although, since December 7, 1931, his interest has been centred in air transport, his greatest success was in coach operation. After a varied career as a youth, he served in the war, from Mons onwards, and afterwards ran a cycle repair trade and then a car-hire business.
On December 7, 1928, he started to run a coach on the Stratford road out of London. Four years later he had 127 coaches.. • His venture in air transport was just beginning to show profits and prospects which called for more capital than any man could be expected to put up. The public issue on December 19, of 400,000 5s. shares was subscribed within an hour. At a beard meeting on December 31, the decision was made to carry on the business in accordance with Mr. Hillman's known intentions. His son and Mr. Bennett are operating the air services from Essex Airport.
NEW ROUTE TO THE CONTINENT.
THERE is now quite a probability 1 that Imperial Ainvays will, next spring, extend its London-BrusselsCologne service to Leipzig. Prague and Vienna. The Austrian, Czechoslovakian and Hungarian authorities are reported as favouring the suggestion, because they see the possibility of its bringing English tourists who would otherwise be. discouraged by having either to fly on a foreign service or to make a long journey by rail.
Imperial Airways, Ltd., has some 1).1-1.86 Express Air Liners on order, and this is one of the most promising of the routes considered for their employment.
HULL-SOUTHAMPTON SERVICE.
WE are informed by Provincial AirVV-ways, Ltd., Croydon, that, although bad weather has been making the London-Plymouth air service difficult to operate in the past few weeks, especially .because of the absence of a radio station at Plymouth, there is now a prospect of such a station being established by March or April. This will considerably assist-with the new scheme of running a connecting air line between Southampton and Hull (via Nottingham and Leeds), with an extension southward to the Isle of Wight.
This extension may possibly develop into .a frequent ferry service, like the Portsmouth-Isle of Wight air ferry. The Hull-Isle of Wight line may be opened with one service each way daily on February 1 or March 1. There is hope that this extra branch will help to bring traffic to the London-Plymouth route, which the company has pioneered despite great difficulties.
OLLEY DEVELOPMENTS IN THE NORTH.
ON December 30 the Dragon G-ACNA, of 011ey Air Service, Ltd., was flown from Hatfield to Croydon by Mr, W. Ledlie, after its overhaul for Certificate of Airworthiness. The first of the Dragon Sixes for this company is due for delivery on January 5.
The increase in the 011ey Air Service fleet will probably be more than justified next spring. The associated Blackpool company has been given a contract to carry the mail between the Isle of Man and the English mainland, and it may be extended to Belfast. Good loads are guaranteed.
NEW CONNECTION WITH FRANCE.
FOR some time we have hinted in this paper at optortunities for further air connection between England and Continental towns, other than capitals. On January 8 Jersey Airways, Ltd., will probably start a service between Jersey and Rennes to connect with that between Jersey and London, etc. Passengers will be able to fly from London to Rennes in three hours and then catch a train to Bordeaux,Biarritz and anywhere in Western France.
This compares with travelling to Paris and making a five-hour train journey thence to Rennes, which is on the main line to these parts. An outand-home service will be run from Jersey on Tuesdays and Fridays. The return fare will be 45s. and the.single fare 27s. 6d., compared with 44s. 10d. for a first-class return journey by boat and rail. CHRISTMAS WEEK TRAFFIC.
W/E were unable to publish last week VV details of the Christmas-week air traffic. On the international lines this showed a healthy advance on that of 1933. For several services Imperial Airways was fully booked some days ahead, and had to duplicate the midday departure to Paris on December 22. Air France was particularly satisfied, and had bookings right. through to North Africa. The company had to 'triplicate on one day between London and Paris. The K.L.M. ran to capacity day after day, whilst Sabena did fairly well.
The Croydon charter companies, such as 011ey Air Service and Air Taxis. Ltd., were rather quiet. Blackpool arid West Coast Air Services, Ltd., ran duplicated departures on December 24, 25 and 26 between Liverpool, Blackpool and the Isle of Man. Provincial Airways, Ltd., operated its Dragon between Croydon and Plymouth almost every day, but did not do so well as expected. Hillman's Airways, Ltd., had heavy bookings, with duplicatibns on December 22 and 24, and ran one service on Christmas Day.
Jersey Airways, Ltd., filled eight Dragons each way daily on December 22, 23 and 24, also seven on December 27 and four daily on December 25 and 26. On December 22 the company had to charter two Spartan Cruisersmaking an impressive turn-out of 10 aeroplanes. On that day Heston was in fog and the machines landed at Henley for London. That day 101 passengers were carried, and in the week to December 27 the passengers between Jersey and England numbered 410.
Railway ,Air Services, Ltd., had moderately good loads, with better traffic between Belfast and Glasgow.
DAILY SERVICE TO THE SAAR.
ASERVICE for freight and passengers between Heston and Saarbriicken was run, by the British Air Navigation Co., Ltd., on December 22 and 24 and is now being operated as. a daily service (including Sundays) from December 27 until January 22. The machine leaves Heston at 7.30 a.m., reaches Saarbriicken at II a.m. (G.M.T.), leaves again at 12,30 p.m., and reaches Heston at 4 p.m. The fares are £6 single and £10 return, the rate for parcels being Is. per lb., with a minimum of 2s. 6d.
The Dragon Vagrant is employed on the line at present. It has carried large consignments of newspapers and parcels and many Press photographs, but passenger traffic has been limited, because entry permits from the Saar Ministry of Interior are necessary. The London freight agent is J. D. Hewitt and Co., Ltd.