Soviet Planes Reported to Have Endangered Berlin Airlift

Grey River Argus, 1 October 1948, Page 5

Soviet Planes Reported to Have Endangered Berlin Airlift

LONDON, September 29.

United States authorities in Germany have made a sharp protest to the Russian delegation at the Berlin Air Satety Centre about five Russian lighter 'planes, w-hich dangerously ’. buzzed” two American supply 'planes flying to 'Berlin. The Americans will complain of violation of the air safety regulations and demand remedial action. They say that five Russian fighters approached two air-lift Skymasters over Fronau, north of Berlin, at noon to-day, and accompanied them for some time at a distance of about 30 yards before breaking away. The American officer said that air safety was constantly being jeopardised by the “undisciplined demeanour” of Russian ’planes ignoring the safety rules. The United States air-ilft authorities in Berlin handed a written protest to the-Russian controller at the Berlin Air Safety Centre. The protest declared that during the past few days a number of Soviet planes endangered American air-lift planes. Five Yaks to-day flew within 100 feet of one American Skymaster and four Yaks “buzzed” another Skymaster in the Hamburg corridor, near the edge of the Berlin control zone. The American letter complained that past verbal protests had been unavailing and the Soviet had apparently done nothing to halt this reckless ’type of flying. It was imperative to- avoid a serious accident for the Soviet aircraft to obey the fourPower flight rules.