During the year Imperial Airways, Ltd., have completed, in accordance with the terms of their agreement, a total horsepower mileage of 549,139,440 and a mileage of 732,980, the monthly totals being: In addition, about 46,000 miles were flown by the company on special flights apart from the subsidised services. A committee consisting of technical representatives of the Air Ministry and of Imperial Airways, Ltd., has been set up to study the problems of reducing costs which are constantly arising in the practical operation of aircraft. The Committee has already begun a detailed examination of a number of questions which urgently call for solution and it is hoped that as a result of its work considerably more rapid progress will be made in the elimination of excessive costs. Imperial Airways, Ltd. Egypt-India Service. The legal agreement with Imperial Airways, Ltd., for the operation of a fortnightly service between Egypt and India, on the terms outlined in the last report, was executed on the 28th October, 1926. The service is scheduled to commence with a flight from Basra to Cairo on the 7th January, and from Cairo to Basra on the 12th January. (These flights were duly completed on the 9th and 14th January respectively.) The operation of the Basra-Karachi section has been postponed till April, 1927. Three De Havilland "Hercules "aircraft, 3 Jupiter engines, which were built for the operation of this service, were flown to their stations from England during December, 1926. One of these machines was used for the flight of the Secretary of State for Air to India, which is referred to in more detail on page 13. Two further machines will be flown out later. The provision of the necessary ground organisation, though delayed by adverse circumstances, has made satisfactory progress, and on the section Cairo to Basra, all arrangements were complete shortly after the end of the period under review. A brief summary of these arrangements will be found under" Cround organisation on page 18. Air Taxis, Limited. A new company has been formed under the name Air Taxis, Limited," to conduct special charter flying similar to that carried out successfully for some years by the De Havilland Hire Service. The organiser of this enterprise has acquired four aeroplanes and has two more on order from the De Havilland Company. This fleet will be based at Stag Lane Aerodrome. In addition to taxi work, the company will engage in air photography. Civil Aviation during the General Strike. The resources of civil aviation were drawn upon to assist in maintaining communications during the general strike in May last. The regular cross-Channel air services of Imperial Airways, Ltd., were unaffected and furnished a link with the Continent when other regular services had stopped. The remaining civil aircraft, including the "Moth" aeroplanes belonging to light aeroplane clubs, were organised for the distribution of newspapers and mails and for similar duties. In all 37 civil aircraft were employed in such operations, with 45 pilots. The work of the light aeroplanes was organised by the Royal Aero Club. Savage Skywriting Company (and Associated Companies). The Savage Skywriting Company has reconditioned its fleet in the United Kingdom and brought it up to a total of 12 machines. Owing to the general strike, however, the home programme arranged for 1926 had to be deferred until 1927. Operations in the United States, where 10 machines are based, are being continued with success. A contract has been arranged for a large campaign embracing three countries of Central Europe, and arrangements have been made for the introduction of skywriting into Australia. In addition, negotiations are in progress for displays in South Africa. Major Savage, Managing Director of the Company, has lately carried out experiments on the problems of spraying crops with insecticide from the air, a subject which he originally studied in the United States. These experiments are incomplete, but are understood to have resulted in a new method that promises to yield considerable improvement in the efficiency of the spraying and to enable a much greater area to be sprayed during each flight than has hitherto been achieved. AIR SURVEY AND PHOTOGRAPHY. The period under review has witnessed a considerable awakening of interest in the commercial possibilities of air survey, some of the results of which have already manifested themselves. Evidence is not lacking that the value of the services rendered is such that air survey will have no difficulty in standing on its own feet without extraneous aid, and it is hoped that the present forward movement is merely the beginning of a steady expansion of this important sphere of activity for commercial aviation. The Air Survey Committee has continued to be of assistance in giving advice to commercial companies engaged in air survey. A report on "Flying for Air Survey Photography" has been prepared and is now in the press. In connection with the visit of the Imperial Conference to Croydon, an exhibit was prepared jointly by the Aircraft Operating Co., Ltd. and the Air Survey Co., Ltd., to illustrate methods of survey from air photographs. This exhibit was subsequently removed to a room in the Air Ministry, Gwydyr House, where it remained for six weeks and attracted a great deal of attention from Imperial delegates, surveyors, forest officers, mining engineers, oil prospectors, traffic experts and the press. Enquiries were thereby set on foot that it is hoped may have definite results. The Aircraft Operating Co., Ltd., during December, despatched an expedition to Northern Rhodesia to carry out a contract for a reconnaissance survey for Minerals Separation, Ltd. The area in which this company is interested is one of 52,000 square miles in a copper bearing region. The contract provides for the photography of 20,000 square miles of this territory and the preparation of maps of selected areas. It is believed that this is the largest commercial air survey contract which has yet been attempted. The expedition consists of two pilots, three photographers and three mechanics; it is equipped with two D.H.9 aeroplanes with Nimbus engines, two Eagle cameras, and special navigation and photographic instruments. Among other instruments developed specially for this contract is an auto-focussing enlarger, which will materially speed up the production of scaled prints. Aerofilms, Ltd., the subsidiary company of the Aircraft Operating Co., Ltd., have continued to expand their programme of commercial photography in this country, while acting as the photographic branch of the latter company. In spite of adverse weather and economic conditions, an increase of 20 per cent. in flying hours devoted to photography was achieved. 2,500 photographs were taken during the period of 9 months. The most interesting individual operation was the photography of 15 square miles of industrial country for the Rural District Council of Doncaster. The District Surveyor reports that, in transferring the results to the 1: 2500 Ordnance Survey maps, the accuracy obtained is greater than that secured by plane tabling and that there has been a great saving of time and expense. Other photographic work has been carried out for map revision and town planning schemes, for which purpose there is an increasing demand for air photographs. Air photographs have been supplied to determine such questions as the adequacy of public houses in a district. The Air Survey Co., Ltd., have expanded their organisation in the east and have opened a new department in London to deal with the mapping work in connection with their various contracts. The contract secured from the Sarawak Government for the mapping of the Rejang Delta, referred to in the previous report, was increased to cover an area of 2,100 square miles with the addition of other isolated small areas. The vertical photography of this area was completed in four months, in spite of unfavourable weather conditions. The region in question is well suited to air survey methods, consisting almost entirely of flat, heavily forested swamp jungle with cultivated clearings along the main waterways. One of the immediate results of the survey was the discovery that many of the native cultivators had taken much larger areas than the areas leased to them—a discovery which will have its effect on the revenue returns of the Government. The photography for the survey of 400 square miles in the Federated Malay States was completed and certain other smaller survey contracts have been secured, including one for a large scale town plan of Penang. An expedition has also been sent to Chittagong in Bengal, where it is preparing for the survey of a number of areas for the Forest and Settlement authorities. The Company are devoting attention also to the problem of air transport in the region of the Straits Settlements; a number of individual transport flights having already been carried out. The Central Aerophoto Company, Ltd., and the Surrey Flying Services, Ltd., have continued to carry out air photography for industrial and advertising purposes. LIGHT AEROPLANE CLUBS AND PRIVATE FLYING. The five Light Aeroplane Clubs approved under the Air Ministry scheme have continued the development of their activities during the period under review. A sixth Club, the Hampshire Aeroplane Club, whose headquarters are at Hamble, near Southampton, was approved in May, 1926. The total membership. of the Clubs as at 31st December, 1926, was 1,058. 97 members held pilots' licences, of whom 55 qualified on Club aircraft. The amount of flying done by the Clubs is shown in the table on page 40. An official investigation has recently been carried out into the activities and financial position of the Clubs. The question of the necessity for further financial assistance on the expiry of the present agreements with the Clubs, is under consideration. Apart from the six officially-assisted Clubs, six Clubs have been started independently, including the Private Owners' Club, to which reference was made in the last Report. The number of aircraft registered in the names of Clubs and "private" owners is increasing steadily. On 31st December, 1926, the total was 58, of which 32 were light aeroplanes and 26 other types. These figures are exclusive of machines under construction. During the year the price of light two-seater aeroplanes has been appreciably reduced, with favourable results on the number of purchasers. Up to date about 70 "Moth" machines have been sold by the makers. A new development in private flying was introduced when a private fleet of transport aircraft was organised in England on behalf of M. Lowenstein, a Belgian financier, for the conveyance of friends and business visitors to and from many parts of Europe. UNIVERSITY AIR SQUADRONS. The establishment of University Air Squadrons at Oxford and Cambridge has importance to civil aviation not less than to the Royal Air Force, since these squadrons are intended to assist in spreading a knowledge of aeronautics among members of the Universities who will follow a non-military calling equally with those who will adopt a service career. The squadrons bear some resemblance to the Officers Training Corps and work in the closest touch with it, but they are essentially different; there are no drill parades and uniform is not worn. During spare time in University terms, courses of practical instruction are given in aircraft rigging, engine overhaul and assembly, air photography, navigation, wireless telegraphy and kindred subjects. During the long vacation the squadrons are attached to some Royal Air Force station for a fortnight, during which members are given instruction in the air and gain practical experience of the handling and maintenance of aircraft on the ground. In the case of Cambridge, the proximity of the R.A.F. station at Duxford affords facilities for a limited amount of flying during University terms. The present membership of the squadrons is 50 each. TRAINING OF RESERVE OFFICERS. The flying training of officers of the R.A.F. Reserve has continued at the five civil schools engaged in this work, under the new agreements entered into on 1st April, 1925. The following statement indicates the number of full courses completed at each school between 1st April, 1926, and 31st December, 1926 : Name of School. De Havilland Aircraft Co., Ltd. - Wm. Beardmore & Co., Ltd. Courses Completed. |