INDUSTRIALISM'S ATTACK ON THE AVIATOR

Evening Post, Volume CXX, Issue 12, 13 July 1935, Page 25

INDUSTRIALISM'S ATTACK ON THE AVIATOR

The smoke abatement problem in England may be dealt with more speedily when it is known that the smoke nuisance affects the newest of the big industries, that of aviation. Mr. Alan Goodfellow, in a paper read at the recent conference on "Smoke and Aviation," referring to a journey from London to the Manchester (Woodford) Aerodrome, said: —

"In a machine flying from London to Woodford I completed, the course in brilliant sunshine and excellent visibility by keeping just to the east of Birmingham. Another pilot flying the direct route passed through a smoke bank nearly forty miles in length to the west of Birmingham and over the Potteries, .and the air was so dark that he could hardly see to read his instruments.

"I have started a flight from Woodford in sunshine and in the neighbourhood of Barton, less than fifteen miles away. I have found a fag so black that on descending into it one could see that motorists. were using their headlights. . - "On a {light from Woodford to Blackpool it is a common experience to meet a smoke bank to tlie west of the Belmont Moors so dense that the ground landmarks cannot be picked up. The belt is usually from fifteen to twenty miles in length, and is particularly bad in light westerly or south-westerly winds when it seems to be piled up against the hills. The same thing may be noticed when crossing the Pennines; according to whether the wind is east or west the pilot may start his crossing in brilliant sunshine only to find a thick smoke belt waiting for him on the far slopes.

"In really light air conditions it is remarkable how a smoke belt will travel as such. With a light wind from the south-east the smoke belt from Manchester and south-west Lancashire can be traced as a streamer right up to the western Solway and across towards Ireland. "Actually sutfh a belt has been traced

over a distance of 200 miles by meteorological observers. With a similar very light wind the smoke from a cottage on the edge of Woodford aerodrome has spread across the aerodrome, forming a belt only a few feet deep but so bad as to make it necessary to suspend instruction in landing practice.

' "Whatever the meteorological conditions, clear or hazy, calm or Windy, it is always noticeable that in and near the bad industrial areas the visibility is poorer. It would not be fair to blame this entirely on the smoke nuisance. The difference in temperature ovet the cities must itself tend to encourage condensation and the formation of water vapour. The hygroscopic nuclei which are necessary for the formation of fog must necessarily be present in the fumes rising from industrial areas in any case.

"To a motorist the limitation of visioilit? to 800 or even 400 yards presents no obstacle. To the airman, travelling normally at from two or three miles a minute and with a minimum speed of perhaps one mile per minute or more, the obstacle is very serious. Visibility of only 400 to 800 yards makes it almost impossible for him to identify landmarks and intensifies the risk of collision with. some object attached to the'ground if he attempts to fly low enough to pick up landmarks. It would be optimistic to 'magine that a complete abatement of the smoke nuisance would entirely obviate the problem of poor visibility in the neighbourhood of industrial areas.

"On the other hand, it is probably not too much to expect that if-would halve the intensity of the problem. This would mean that in the areas where visibility at present averages half a mile it would be increased to a mile, which from the airman's point of view spells all the difference between comfort and discomfort, and may spell the difference between safety and disaster."