EMPIRE AIR MAILS

Evening Post, Volume CXVIII, Issue 106, 1 November 1934, Page 13

EMPIRE AIR MAILS

NEW DEVELOPMENTS

LINKING UP CAPITALS

AIR MINISTER'S VIEWS

(British Official Wireless.)

(Received November 1,12.45 p.m.)

RUGBY, October 31

A scheme,for the further development of British commercial air transport, upon plans for which the.Air Ministry (in conjunction with the Post Office and Imperial Airways) has been actively engaged for several months past, will, it is hoped, be revealed within the • next month or two. This announcement was made today in an interview by Sir Philip Sassoon, Under-Secretary for Air, who has just returned from a 19,000----miles flight over fourteen countries, and during which he travelled as far east as Singapore, and visited the Royal Air Force stations in Egypt and on the north-west frontier of India. Sir Philip's journey was made in seven different typos of aircraft, civil-and military, and, ho is convinced that civil air transport must, in the not far distant future, tend increasingly to supplement the older forms of trans-' port. During his 4" long, tour there were no forced landings, and all his flights wero made strictly to schedule. He was, particularly interested in. the development in progress in 'aerodromes and landing grounds on the IndiaSingapore section, of the route,. which ho is satisfied is proceeding on right lines. The chief difficulty over this part of the route, is the dampness^ of aerodromes during the monsoon period, but this latter is receiving the attention of aerodrome experts. Fortunately,tho prevailing winds do not vary substantially in direction, and it is thoreforo possible to overcome, the difficulty by putting down landing ■ strips on aerodromes. . This..method has already been adopted at Bangkok with marked success. . Sir Philip Sassoon said that tho civil aerodrome at Singapore Was a very fine one, x and the buildings had been extremely well designed and laid, out. I'lii? people of M.vlaya were enthusiastic over flying, and realised their responsibilities and the fact that the peninsula must be a. link of ever-increasing ..importance-' in the Empire air-mail route. LESSONS OF THE AIR RACE. He expressed satisfaction that the speed race in the great Australia con" test was won by a British machine and British engines,-and he paid a tribute to ■the excellent performance of the Douglas machine flown by the very able Dutch pilots. But, he said, he did not think they Would claim-that the time has yet arrived when it is possible to contemplate a speed of 200 miles per hour on a. regular 'schedule flown in all weathers and at-all times of tho year. The lessons of the race were apparent, but ho did not wish it to be thought that any special action on the part of the Air Ministry was attendant on .the. results of such an. event. .

Referring to work on plans for ordered development which have beon proceeding at the Air "Ministry in conjunction with the Post Office and Imperial Airways for many months past, he said they had reached tho conclusion that the present flying times between London and the other Empire capitals must bo progressively and drastically curtailed, and that measures'mustv.be taken for the further development of airmail traffic in particular. . •■' .

Obviously, he added, a great deal of preparatory work must be.doiiOj and the closest and fullest consultation with tho Dominions and Colonies was a necessary preliminary to the final formulation of a definite acheme. they had no intention of making their plans public prematurely. , . ■ . .- . •