AVIATION.

Press, Volume LXVI, Issue 20096, 27 November 1930, Page 11

AVIATION.

LIQUOR ON AIR LINERS.

ARGUMENT BEFORE LIQUOR

COMMISSION. (crrriED press association —by electeic TBLSGRAPH—COFTBIGHT.) (Received November 26th, 11.90 p.m.) LONDON, November 26. The question of drinking in aircraft Was raised before the Licensing Commission by Major Beaumont, representing the Imperial Airways. He argued in favour of intoxicants on air-liners. He said that experience had shown that they were required by passengers, not wholly in connexion with meals, but for air sickness. The company considered that the sale of liquors in aircraft was necessary. It should also be possible to supply passengers before the start a .^ r 'P an d after the arrival at destination. He would leave the pilot free to take a drink during the flight if he wanted to. Pilots occasionally required Q stimulant owing to the intense cold at high altitudes. The majority of pilots were teetotallers.

TWO BIPLANES COLLIDE.

BOTH OCCUPANTS KILLED.

CReceired November 28tii. 5.5 p.m.) LONDON. November 25. On the return journey from Leuchars aerodrome to Donibristle, the leader of four biplanes, three of which were flying in arrowhead formation, collided with another while turning at an altitude of a thousand feet. Both fell headlong, three hundred yards apart, within the sight of the proprietor of the estate. One immediately burst into flames, incinerating FlightLieutenant H. W. Howlett. The other pilot, Flight-Lieutenant U Brookes, was killed outright. Both machines were destroyed. This is the 53rd crash and the 03rd fatality in the Air Force during 1930. IMPERIAL AIRWAYS FLEET. PASSENGER ACCOMMODATION TO BE DOUBLED. I'BSZI'ISS OJiflCIAi. WIeELKSS.) (Received November 26th, 5.5 p.m.) IiUGBY. November 25. The passenger capacity of the fleet of Imperial Airways will be more than doubled in the spring bv the addition of eight Handley-Page air liners, and three Short super Calcutta flying boats carrying 40 passengers each. The new units will be available for the anticipated extension of the Indian mute to Australia and the opening, next vear of the service to Cape Town. They will give jthe fleet a total accommodation for 727 passengers. which is much in excess of any other passenger air fleet in the world.

AFRICAN AIR ROUTES. HUHIS omcui, WTKi&tS* ) RUGBY, November 25. The three Fairey aeroplanes which have been making an exploration trip over hitherto unvisitcd portions of West Africa left Bathurst, Gambia, to-day on the return journey to Khartoum. They have been engaged upon a five weeks' investigation of air routes, starting on October 14th. The distance from Khartoum, in thd Sudan, across the continent to Gambia, is about 3000 miles, and represents a portion of Afriea that haß scarcely ever been explored before.