AVIATION IN EMPIRE

Evening Star, Issue 23373, 16 September 1939, Page 10

AVIATION IN EMPIRE

YEAR OF PROGRESS REPORTED MORE FLYING: FEWER ACCIDENTS In spite of the big demands on the British aircraft industry for military aeroplanes last year a notable advance in the development and production of civil types is reported in the ‘ Report on the Progress of Civil Aviation, 1938.’ During the year the Air Ministry placed orders for two new types of civil transport aeroplanes and entered into commitments to subsidise the early production of a third type, says the London 1 Times.’ The British Empire continued to lead in the total length of routes operated by regular air services; and in almost every part of the Empire the numbers of registered civil aircraft, licensed commercial and private pilots, and ground engineers showed increases. The total number of registered aircraft in the Empire rose from 3,197 to about 3,2C0 during the year, while the number of commercial pilots increased from 1,955 to nearly 2,200; the number of private pilots from 7,552 to about 8,700; and the number of ground engineers from 2,961 to about 3,500. SUBSIDIES DOUBLED. Decisions of far-reaching importance affecting the development of British civil aviation were taken during the year. In the case of oversea services these decisions were for the most part consequent on the recommendations of the Cadman Committee. Consequent on the financial recommendation of the committee, the statutory limit of the aggregate amount of subsidies for civil air transport was, by the Air Navigation (Financial Provisions) Act, 1938, increased from £1.500.000 to £3,000,000. A new epoch in the development of intercommunication between the members of the British Commonwealth of Nations can be said to have begun on July 28, 1938, when the introduction of the Empire airmail scheme was completed by the dispatch of the first Empire flying boat to carry “ all-up ” mail to Australia. The following figures show the distrance flown and the traffic carried during 1938 on the regular services operated by United Kingdom companies, including internal services, services between the United Kingdom and the Continent, services operated by Imperial Airways and associated comnanies on the Empire routes, and the Bermuda-New York service. Comparative figures are given for 1937; — 1938,—Aircraft miles, 13,556,000; passenger miles, 54,267,000; freight ton

miles, 904,000; mail ton miles, 9,335,000. 1937. —Aircraft miles, 10,773,000; passenger miles, 49,729,000; freight ton miles, 804,600; mail ton miles, 3,873,500. . ’ INTERNAL AIR LINES. It is estimated that during 1938 approximately 3,267,000 miles were flown and about 147,000 passengers and 1,200 tons of freight and mail were carried on the regular internal air_ lines in the British Isles. The route mileage operated regularly during the year, or during a substantial part of the year, wai approximately 5,300. This shows an increase compared with, the previous year in spite of a trend towards rationalisation of routes. Such a trend is likely to become more pronounced under the system for the licensing of air transport which was established during the year. During the year the Government announced a subsidy scheme which provides that a sum not exceeding £IOO,000 in any one year shall be earmarked for a period of five yeans for the purpose of subsidising internal air lines, LIGHT PLANE CLUBS. Approximately 74 light aeroplane clubs existed in Great Britain and Northern Ireland at the end of the year, and of these 63 were included in the Air Ministry scheme for affording financial assistance to approved clubs. The total number of flying members of the approved clubs at the end of 1938 was 9,100, and of these 3,960 held the pilot’s “A ” license. The corresponding figures for • 1937 were 7,157 and 3,418 respectively. Pilots who were members of the Civil Air Guard only are not included in these figures. The Civil Air Guard scheme came into operation on September 1, 1938, and the response was immediate and enthusiastic. By the end of the year no fewer than 30.260 applications for enrolment had been received, 6,433 of them from women, Afj the end of 1938, 63 clubs had Civil Air Guard units. The total number of enrolments was 5,672, of which 633 were of women. AERIAL PHOTOGRAPHY.! The activities of the companies engaged in aerial photography during the year are described in the report, and it is stated that imp'roved equipment of considerable interest was brought into use. The ihcreasing demand for contour maps led to the purchase of additional equipment, and an interesting development was the application of colour’ photography to oblique photographs. Steady progress was made during tha year by local authorities and by tha Air Ministry in the development of ground services, and planning was completed of the organisation to be set up to meet the recommendations of _ tha Maybury Committee for the provision of radio, meteorological, and control facilities by the Air Ministry. At tha end of the vear there were 103 licensed aerodromes" of a permanent nature, compared with 98 at the close of 1937. During 1938 the number of serious accidents to United Kingdom civil aircraft was about half the number in tha previous year, and was the lowest number for any year since 1933. In commercial flying there was only one accident in which fare-paying passenger! were killed and one other in which passengers were injured. Approximately 4.500,000 passenger miles were flown on the regular services for each passenger killed, and 3,400.000 aircraft miles were flown for each fatal accident. For the seven-year period, 1932-38, the corresponding figures were 3,685,000 and 2,050,000 respectively.