WIDE EXPERIENCE IN AVIATION

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 27, 16 February 1937, Page 4

WIDE EXPERIENCE IN AVIATION

■ w » W - Mr G. G. Stead Revisiting Hastings EIGHT YEARS ABR0AD Preparatory to joining the staffi oi Oook Strait Airways as a pilot, Mr G. G. Stead is revisiting his home • town, Hastings, after an absence of eighfc years abroad, During this period he has served four years with the Royal Alr Force in the Old Country and has spent over 3000 hours in commercial flying. Aecompanying him is his wife, who is making her first visft to the Dominion. Some conception of the great advance that has been made in aviation in Great Britain and on the Continent was provided by Mr Stead when he informed a Herald-Tribune representative this morning that such had been the development of private and commercial flying that it was necessary to have defined routes, especially for commercial flights, and separate routes for both branches of aviation in bad weather. As indicating the popularity of private flying, he instaneed two wellknown aerodromes, Hcston and Hanworth, on the outskirts of London, and said that at each of these places the facilities offcred were made use of by at least 200 planes daily. At Heston, for example, there were seven air-taxi

firms and two big air lines operating, and in addition there were six firms that dealt in new and used machines. The manufacture of aircraft had now reached. the stage at which, as in the motor-ear industry, there was a ready market for second-hand aeroplanes. The present time, said Mr Stead, was no time to buy a maehine in a hurry. The British authorities were concentrafcing upon building up the Air Force with a view to strengthffiung the nation 's defence, and all factories were going at full capacity tb complete the defence contracts. Encouragement for -Pilots Mr Stead took every opportunity offer8d to familiarise himself with the various commercial routes, and he said it was interesting to n'ote that though eompetition was very keen at times between the various air lines operating all over Europe every encouragement was given commercial pilots to make trips on the different routes and so gain experience. A commercial pilot, he said, obtained free passage on any of the lines provided there was a vacant seat available, and his wife's fare was only 25 per cent of the usual fare. Mr Stead said he made the most of this privilege. for he realised only too well how much it meant to him to have the opportunity of familiarising himself not only with the different types of machines in use but with the varying conditions under whilh the services were run. Commercial aviation, he pointed out, had now been brought to a high stage of efficiency, and on the big paasenger planes conditions were very much on a par with those prevailing on board a big ocean liner. The wants of the passengers were studied to the most minute detail, such things as route maps, mineral waters, chewing-gum, smelliiig. salffe and cotton wool being provided. Each passenger was given a rug. and the seats were most comfor table, be' .vAng adjustable. The first officer acted as a steward, and in fine weather the commander went through the plane chatting with his passengers. Nothing was left to chance and all the instruments were duplicated so that in the event of one breaking down there was a ready substitute. The system of short-wave beams in use made it possibie for planes to land safely even in a dense fog. The dangers of flying blind, in fact, had been reduced to the minimum. Wireless played a very big part in these days in commercial aviation, as well as in civil flying, and with the former there wero duplicated sets both for receiving and sending. Even the duplication of human factors received attention, for in addition to the wireless officer the first •officer was also an experienced wireless operator. Aviation Ranks One interesting development recently had been the standardisation of ranks among commercial pilots, said Mr Stead. All the companies had agreed upon the standardisation, and the various offlcers were decorated in muoh fche same manner as those in the shipping industry. The highest achievement in the profession was the rank of master pilot, and there were but flvo of these in Great Britain. Mr Stead mentioned that he was now preparing for his first-class navigation" certificate, this being one of the highest1 examinations in aviation. The certificate must be held before it was even possibie to* be a master pilot, or commander first-class, a rank, by the way, that was conferred only at the diseretion of the Air Ministry. Quite a substantial part of his early experience in commercial aviation was -ipent on the Rangoon-Caleutta serviee 'uider Indian National Airways, Mr Stead added. In the very early part of tis serviee there were neither wireless •or meteorological reports to assist the ■ilots of the day and night mails and Iher air serviees, and on one particur routo there -were only four landing- • mvds in Lho journey of S00 miles. The route was over very inountainu3 country, and a hostile one at that. Klven 30 railes from the coast it was jnly as a last resort that a landing would be ni.ado.' for it.was nothing for (lie natives to sit in the trees and shoot ooisonous arrows at those hapless enough to be foreed to enter their domain. Revolvers were a necessary part of the equipment on this route. Tliougli no commercial pilot had lost liis life in this locality quite a number of civilians had done so. Quite aPai't from this aspeet the mere landing of the plane along the coast was a very difficult one. In one place the rainfall was 200 inehes in three months, and it was quite frequent to lind. a foot or 14 inehes of water on the nmways, making it impossible on oeeas&m's to lift the plane off the ground, «