1936-07-18 — Page 7

THE CHINA MAIL, SATURDAY, JULY 18, 1936

STEADY AIR DEVELOPMENT IN GT. BRITAIN HONG KONG

AFTER 17

YEARS

DEVELOPMENT IN BRITAIN

Many Services To Continent

100 PER CENT. RELIABLITY

This summer sees the completion of 17 years of air transport be- tween London and the Continent

When, in 1919, the first air ex- presses were flying across the Channel, British air transport was. for a time, represented by just the 250-mile line between London and Paris. To-day the air-liners of Im- perial Airways operate over appro- ximately 26.000 miles of European and Empire routes.

A composite picture of one of the 23 new Empire flying-boats under construction for Imperial. Airways, Ltd. by Messrs. Short Bros., Lid, Rochester.

ECONOMIC NEEDS OF

TRANSPORT

AIDS TO NIGHT-FLYING

POLICY SUPPORTED

BY FOKKER

STRIKING TRIBUTE TO BRITISH SERVICES IMPERIAL AIRWAYS' EXAMPLE TO OTHERS

One of the most remarkable tributes ever paid by a great expert of one country to the air transport policy of another has just been voiced in Amsterdam by Mr. Anthony Fokker, the fa- mous Dutch designer and constructor whose war- planes and commercial aircraft have won him fame throughout the world.

Mr. Fokker was discussing with the Amsterdam correspon- dent of the "Daily Telegraph" the amplified Empire air-mail scheme which is to come into operation next year, and for which Imperial Airways have under construction a fleet of 28 huge flying-boats and 12 giant land-planes.

"I have." declared Mr. Fokker, "the greatest admiration for the steady lines of development which Imperial Airways have followed. I have also noticed that this is the policy of British

"Imperial Airways." Mr. Fokker added, "have never allowed themselves to be influenced by the temporary spurts of competi- tors, although they have used these as stimulating influences. I put them up as an example to others, my own country included.”

CO-OPERATION BY SEA AND AIR World air travel, as it existed towards the end of 1919, did Civil aviation is playing its part in the general scheme of not extend over more than world transport at a most appropriate time from an economic 3,000 miles of routes. Now in viewpoint. Commerce is calling for a greater speed in the car 1936 the latest figures place the riage of all loads where the time-factor is important. This apaviation generally. mileage of the world's airwaysį plies particularly to transport over long distances. at over 225,000. And the figure

But on land and sea the cost of is increasing constantly.

In many vital aspects has air further speed increases is, in travel developed between 1919 and many cases, becoming prohibitive. 1936. In the first year of flying be- So it is to air transport that the tween London and the Continent, task falls of providing a form of small single-engined craft were express travel for urgent loads averaging a speed of about 80 which does not compete with sea miles-an-hour. To-day Imperial or land travel, but which by res- ason of its speed augments the al- Airways have in construction fleet of giant air-liners, each of ready highly-developed facilities! is this which will be capable of a speed of surface transport. It in the neighbourhood of 200 miles fundamental point which governs!

air transport progress in its re- -an-hour.

Another striking contrast islation to, and in its association forthcoming by comparing the with, sea and land transport. loads carried by tiny planes of

No Competition

early days and the air-giants now Air travel does not compete nearing completion. In the single-with the services already provided engined aircraft of 1919 it was by land and sea. It does not sup-

only possible to carry a few hun-plant any of these surface trans dred pounds weight of mails and freight. In each of the new import facilities. It augments and perial Airways flyingboats there supplements them. This aspect is well realized by air, rail, and will be provision for the carriage shipping interests, and an active of approximately three tons

land closer co-operation is develop- mails and freight, in addition to ing between travel by air and that passengers, crew, and fuel.

by land and sea.

off

Reliability Essential Reliability, as well as speed, is essential in air transport. When aeroplanes first began flying.com- mercially the factor of reliability was not more than about 60 per| cent. To-day, operation on bothị European and Empire routes, the aircraft of Imperial Airways maintain an all-the-year-round re- liability of just on 100 per cent

For a time, after air traffic had started between England and the -Continent, only one machine daily) few between London and Paris.

COMMERCIAL FLYING

Canada Holds The Freight Record

LARGE INCREASE SHOWN

Ottawa, Canada.

Air Beacons At Karachi Aeroplane

to

To enable night-flying pilots on Karachi-Rangoon sections of the England-Australia service locate their positions, air-beacons are being placed at points 30 to 50 miles apart along the route between aerodromes.

As the beacons revolve Morse light signals are flashed skyward which indicate the precise location of the beacon on the route.

FACILITIES IN ENGLAND

The policy which has gained the admiration of such a great er- pert as Mr. Fokker-whose trans-

FLYING FLEA TO port-planes are in operation in all

BE TESTED

Air Ministry Now Agrees

BANNED IN FRANCE PENDING REPORT

parts of the globe-is one which seeks always the most effective compromise between air speed and (cost and which, at the same time,; aims to ensure the highest pos- sible factors of reliability and comfort. Very high speeds being costly in the air, as they are on land and sea, the policy of Im- perial Airways is not one of an extreme speed which only a few There were developments in could afford, but the provision of two countries last month regard-air services fast enough to be ing in vestigations into the Flying within the means of a maximum Flea, a type of light aeroplane number of users, and with the ob- ject constantly in view, also, that which has given rise to troversy because of the number of British air transport is expected to become self-supporting, without fatalities in which it has been in-

needing any further aid from the volved.

"State, at the earliest practicable In England, the Air Ministry moment. decided to reverse the previous de- Shoreham-by-Sea (Sussex)

cision against an official test; and From an old collection ' of in France flights with this class policy of providing speed, re- wooden hangars and huts that of plane were prohibited by liability, and comfort at the lowest formed the Shoreham pioneer fly-Cot, the Air Minister, until tests possible cost were indicated re- ing ground of 1910, and was all have been completed. air training camp in the early war years, has been evolved, at a cost

£60,000 Airport Opened

SITE OF PIONEER GROUND

In Air Tanel

con-

"

Impressive Figures Some of the results of this

cently in the House of Commons by Sir Philip Sassoon, Under- The Flying Flea was introduced Secretary of State for Air. He of £60,000, the Brighton, Hove and in January, 1935, by a Frenchman,pointed out that in the latest year M. Mignet. He built the first £100 for, which complete figures are Worthing municipal air port.

available Imperial Airways Car- This was opened recently by the aeroplane in 27 days. Mayors of Brighton, Hove and The tenth victim of a Flying ried a ton-mileage some 25 per Worthing-Cucir. Edward Demme, Fles crash was a French amateur, cent greater than their French, Cacks. C. S. Loadson, and Ald. who lost his life on May 22, the 150 per cent. greater than their A world's record for freight william G. Tree, each of whom day on which a squadron-leader Italian, and 50 per cent. greater Soon, however, additional services carried by air was established in was presented with a goldes key. of the British Air Force was kill-than their Dutch, competitors. were established between England Canada in 1935 when 26,439.224

The Southern Railway Company ed when one of these 'planes "And I expect” he added, "that and other destinations throughout ibs. (about 13,220 short tons) were operates an air service from the crashed in Lincolnshire.

the traffic figures for 1935, when Europe; and now at the present transported, according to figures fying ground and also has a sta-

available, will make an even bet- time, with the summer time-tables issued by the Civil Aviation tion there.

ter comparative showing." in full swing, more than 60 air-Branch of the Department of Na-

Referring to the question of The English tests will be held craft-air-liners, cargo planes, tional Defence.

in the air tunnel at Farnborough State subsidies, the Undez-Secre- The decision was announced by tary of State observed: "In 1935 tary for Air. He said that experi-a little more than one-third of ments with one type would not that enjoyed by the French, about "An aerodrome may well be- amounted to 1,126,084 lbs. (about)

apply to other models of this kind half that of the Germans, and connections with the1562, short tons); this was also come in the future as esaential to of machine The Air League will about two-thirds of that of the) Italians. But in diferent form, Continental arrivals and depart nearly double the mount carried seaside, town as a railway sta therefore

tion. The municipalities of

whereas the subsidy paid by the chines.. Brighton. Hove," and Worthing are

French per ton-mile carried, in the No other country approaches to be congratulated on their fer- Systematie experiments are latest year for which we have: these figures, la mails carried by sightedness in realising this, and being carried out in France with figures, appears to have been air Canada is second only to the on their enterprise in establishing these miniature planes to decide about nine shillings, and the cor- United States in actual tonnage) Ja joint airport"

what technical improvements are responding. German and Italian jand now carries by air about twice

and specially-chartered machines are passing daily across the

Message Read

At the luncheon which followed These figures were nearly dou-the opening ceremony the follow- W read from ble those of 1934 and more than ing message

Channel; while the air expresses sir times those of 1933. Mails car-Viscount Swinton, the Air Minis/Sir Philip Sassoon, Under-Secre-the Imperial Airways subsidy was

of British inland services fly to and from provincial centres to establish

tures.

NEW YORK TO BERMUDA

New Air Service Pending

GIANT FLYING BOATS

ried by air during the year ter:

in 1934.

submit several

108-

A race for a silver cup present-necessary to prevent accidents. figures about four shillings and the weight of mails per head of led by Mr. H. Stavers Tiltman, the The temporary ban, it is stated, is eleven shillings respectively, that population as the United States. airport architect, was flown in intended to assist the development paid to Imperial Airways is now to something. „under. two In N. Canada

heats. Flying-Officer A. C. Clons-of economical flying. The planes down ton was the winner, with W. Hun-are being tested in the air tunnel shillings.” "The remarkable increase in ble second, and I. D. Kirwan third.lat Meudon, near Paris, In connection with the flying-freight carried by air is wholly 'boat service between Bermuda due to the increasing use of air- and New York, which is to be craft in northern Canada în con- operated by Imperial Airways innection with the development of conjunction with Pan-American (mining and other resources beyond Airways, four local Bermuda re-the reach of ruil and highway 6y- sidents Mr. W. D. Wadson, Mr. stems. Eugene Kelly, Miss Joell," and Miss Minna Smith-have already booked passages to fly by the first service scheduled from Bermuda to New York

Imperial Airways

Pilots Of Imperial

SPECIAL PLANE - CHARTERED

FOR BIRTHDAY PARTY :

Among the aircraft of Imperial Airways which have been char-

Just over 100 pilots, Captains; between Penang and Hong Kong-tered recently for special flights and First-Officers, are at the pre-the number of pilots is just on 20 was a big four-engined air-liner Passengers carried during 1935 sent time engaged in, fring the On No. 4. Operating Division, which was engaged to carry a totalled 177,472, an increase of aircraft of Imperial. Airways on covering the Africa route from number of passengers over to a about 72,000 over the previous the Company's European and Fan- Kisumi to Johannesburg, five Cap birthday party in Faris, and re- year. Miles down totalled 7,522,- pire routes. On No. 1 Operating tains and five First-Officers are turn with them next day. 102, an increase of more than Division, which covers Europe, now engaged, while several pilota means

more than 30 pilots-Captaine and are, at the moment, on - special

On this Bermuda New York 1,000,000.

route Imperial Airways will em- In announcing the figures, the First - Officers are, employed, duties in Africa, Newfoundland. WORLD SOLD FLIGHT PLANNED ploy a giant Impire flying boat of Minister of National Defence con-while there are also just over 30 and elsewhere. In addition to the

ニュー

the type now under construction gratulated Canada's civil airmen on No. 2 Operating Division, Captains and First-Officers at pre- Sydney, New South Wales for the Company by Messrs. Short "Their success” he said, "which covers the editerranean sent în regular service with the James Mollison recently Brothers. Weighing nearly 16 tons, wholly due to courage, initiative and extends as far á Barachi on Company, many more pilots are nounced here his intention to at and driven by engines developing and tireless energy which they the = India route, a total of approximately. – 3,000 have given to the development of Kisumu in Africa horse-power, each of these giant unsubsidized air services through-West Africa route. aircraft will be capable of a speed out northem Canada and without Operating Division, In the neighbourhood of 200 miles (which many thriving mining from Karachi t an hour.

¡camps could not exist.”

including the new

to now in training for the Empire tempt shortly the most spectacular the expansion programme which fight in the history of aviation. 3 comes into operation next year, He plans to dy round the world ing and by which first-class letter solo 24,000 miles in 21 days. On and mails are to be air-borne in balk the way he intends, to cross the link along the chief Empire routes. - Facific from Australia to America.

to

ENGLAND

AUSTRALIA

or

DORADO

Leave Hong Kong Fridays, arriving Penang Saturdays

Connect at Penang with main London-Brisbane routenowopera- ting twice weekly -

• Hong Kong-London in 10 days- £175, Brisbane in 6 days-£87

IMPERIAL AIRWAYS

Bookings

AND ASSOCIATED COMPANIES

and information from Imperial Airways `(Far. East) Ltd,

1, The Arcade, Periamala Hotel Kowloon. Telephone: 50905, or the Company's Booking Agenta.

MAIL

PASSENGERS

42 DAYS

PENANG-LONDON

52 DAYS

SINGAPORE-LONDON

TWICE WEEKLY

Special Through Fares

on Application Government Officials and Offers

10% Reduction

FREIGHT

K L M

ROYAL DUTCH AIR LINES AGENTS: JAVA CHINA JAPAN LINE YORK BUILDING, CHATER ROAD.

BRITISH MALT, BRITISH HOPS,

THERE'S NO FAULT

IN ALLSOPP'S

Sole

CALDBECK, MACGREGOR & CO, LTD. Prince's Building.

20075