1950 - 1959
1950
British equipment undergoing development, were landing aids such as ILS and GCA, and navigational aids such as DME, cloud-warning radar, and various types of search radar. Installation of the Scottish Gee chain was now complete and the introduction of new semi-automatic equipment begun.
CAFU STATS
In the year ended 31st March, 1950, Hansard reported that £.......... had been spent in maintaining the Flying Unit on essential technical and operational work. The average cost per flying hour was £..s 0d (£.
Staff numbers employed at CAFU were ...........
CAFU tasks noted by Hansard:
Calibration of Radio and radar aids throughout the British Isles
Examination of .................................
Operational trials of ........................
Development and trials of .............
Flight testing of airfield Lighting aids
Training of ATC ......... cews
Departmental Communication, and the maintenance of flying standards of HQ personnel
VIP Communications
CAFU had flown ...... hours in the .. month period up to ......... 1950. 3,...... went on checking aids and 3...... hours on checking pilots. The remaining 1.... hours were divided between “general purpose” flying, including demonstration and development flying for prototype radio and radar aids as well as other tasks.
ICAO
The Instrument landing system (ILS) which had been recommended as the ICAO standard approach aid in 1946, the guiding standards which appeared in Annex 10 of June, 1949, became effective from March 1, 1950.
In the early Fifties only the more important airfields had VHF Radio Telephony (R/T).
Radio Aid calibration was extended to the new Instrument Landing System (ILS), which was being installed at all the larger airports around the world.
Decca (Long Wave) was being trialled by the MCA (CAFU). ........
AIRCRAFT
Auster G-AGLL Retired Jan-50
Anson G-AGPB Retired Nov-50
Auster G-AGLL lost its registration (PWFU) in January, while the Anson G-AGPB retired in November, returning to the Air Ministry in Lisbon, Portugal.
Auster G-AGLK,
Miles Gemini G-AIRS, G-AJZL, G-AKDD
Proctor G-AGLJ
Tiger Moth G-AGRA, G-AGRB
Avro Anson G- GWA, GWE, GWF, GZS & GZT, GVA, GUD, HIC, HIH & G-AHIJ
Airspeed Consul G-AJXE , JXF, JXG, JXH & JXI
de Havilland Dove (Tels) G-AJLV, G-ALFT, LFU
de Havilland Dove (I/R) G-ALVS (appeared after 1st April 1950)
AIRCRAFT REGISTERED TO MCA by the end of 1950 = ..........
1951
ORDNANCE SURVEY
CAFU had been conducting Ordnance Survey work since the early fifties
RADIO AIDS
An interesting paper was presented to the 1951 Radio Convention, held at Southampton, under the auspices of the British Institution of Radio Engineers and given by Mr G.W. Stallibrass of the MCA’s Directorate of Navigational Service (Control and Navigation), later to be a Director of Aerodromes Safety (DAS) and by the eighties a Board member of the CAA. In the paper he discussed........
VOR
The US Airborne Instruments Laboratory, Long Island, were evaluating VOR/DME ........
The U.S. authorities had generously agreed to supply VOR installations free of charge to the following ICAO member countries:
Britain,
France
Italy
Belgium
Holland
UK NATIONAL AIRWAYS SYSTEM
On the 15th February 1951, Phase 2 of the UK Airways system became operational. It included the extension of Green One, and three new airways:
Blue One
Red One and
Red Two.
The present Metropolitan “Inner” .............. was replaced ........
In order to comply with the new airway system, aircraft flown on the airways would have to carry ......... and have minimum radio navigation equipment: MF receivers associated with ADF (manually operated D/F loop) and a VHF receiver capable of receiving signals from 75,000kc/s marker beacons, or ....... or ......
ICAO PROGRESS
Although Norway, Sweden and the U.S. Zone of Germany had airway systems in operation, it was reported at an ICAO progress meeting at the Palais de Chaillot, Paris, in October 1951, that the most complex airway system existing in Europe was that in Great Britain. ..............
A recommendation tabled was that SBA (Standard Beam Approach) should be withdrawn in favour of ILS, the latter now being the standard ICAO recommended aid. Whilst not disagreeing with this recommendation, the U.K. delegation asked that implementation should be delayed as British European Airways employed SBA and would have the greatest difficulty in re-equipping their aircraft for ILS sufficiently quickly.
Examination was given to the relative merits of Decca and VOR, and it was pointed out that Decca coverage of some two million square miles of Europe already existed. I.A.T.A. tabled a demonstration plan of about 85 VOR stations, but during an examination these were reduced to 33, 20 of which were, however, the subject of reservations or statements of intention by a number of the States concerned. What was really required was an evaluation of VOR and Decca ......................
In June, 1951, the Fourth Session of the Communications Division of ICAO agreed the full specification for DME that was proposed should be installed along the international air routes. ........... in fact the progress made towards the implementation of DME was such that the MCA sponsored the temporary installation of a prototype DME at Rome and Cairo to assist in establishing when to commence an aircraft descent from cruise when used by B.O.A.C.s Comet aircraft...................
UK AIRWAY
On the 10th May the United Kingdom National Airways system came into full operation with the airways extended to Scotland.
AIRCRAFT
During February, the single engine Percival Proctor G-AGLJ was removed from the register as belonging to the MCA. It was subsequently re-registered to a consortium of named owners on the 15th March, but by the 1st of April of 1951 it was permanently withdrawn from use, it being noted that the aircraft had ‘…disappeared during a cross Channel flight’!
Meanwhile, a Gemini was sold to Shackleton, the Broker, and subsequently sent abroad to Australia to be registered as VHALJ.
In August, three Percival Princes were registered to the MCA, G-AMKW, MKX and MKY. They were required for the additional calibration work being undertaken by the Telecommunications side in order to keep pace with the introduction of the airways system. These aircraft would stay on the register until 1971.
September saw the first de Havilland DHC1 Chipmunk registered, G-AMMA. This was the first of two Chipmunks to be delivered which were to replace the Tiger Moths for the testing of candidates for the Commercial Pilots Licence (CPL), a day time test known as the General Flying Test (GFT), as well as being used by CAFU pilots for refresher flying, and Instructor Rating Training, Tests and Renewal.
And finally, in November, both G-AGWF and G-AHIJ the white Anson, were both sold by the MCA to Sperry Gyroscope Co. Ltd. Interestingly both these two Ansons, G-AGWF and G-AHIJ (known as the White elephant by Tels staff) were not retired from the register until November 1951, even though an MCA advert shows that their Certificate of Airworthiness (CoA) expired well before this date.
AIRCRAFT
The MCA Fleet (CAFU) at the end of 1951 now comprised of:
Avro XIXs
Consuls
Doves (3 Tels + 1 I/R)
Princes
Tigers
Gemini
Auster
Chipmunk
Total = ................ (aircraft, all maintained by Hel? (go on, buy the book)
Prince
The three Princes, G-AMKW, MKX and MKY were registered in 1951 to the MCA CAFU Fleet to assist the four telecommunication flight inspection Doves.
The Photo shows G-AMKW in the new colour scheme used in the late 1950's. Capt J. Picken designed the livery after trials with orange dayglow paintwork.
Photo: Eddy Harris
The Photo shows G-AMKW in the new colour scheme used in the late 1950's. Capt J. Picken designed the livery after trials with orange dayglow paintwork.
Photo: Eddy Harris
Chipmunk
The first of two chipmunks G-AMMA was registered in September 1951.
The second Chipmunk was not registered until February 1955. Both aircraft took over the work of the Tiger Moths, G-AGRA and GRB which were de-registered in Febuary 1952.
The Cipmunks were mainly used for testing candidates seeking a Commercial Pilots Licence as well as by the Examiners renewing their Instructor Ratings and for refresher flying.
Photo: Eddy Harris
The second Chipmunk was not registered until February 1955. Both aircraft took over the work of the Tiger Moths, G-AGRA and GRB which were de-registered in Febuary 1952.
The Cipmunks were mainly used for testing candidates seeking a Commercial Pilots Licence as well as by the Examiners renewing their Instructor Ratings and for refresher flying.
Photo: Eddy Harris
1952
AIRCRAFT - ACCIDENT
In January of 1952 there was a fatal aircraft accident involving CAFU. The CAA register database simply shows that Anson, owned by the MCA, G-AG..was taken off the Register, having been ‘destroyed – Crashed’! The crew .........................
The Accident Court of Enquiry was uncertain as to the cause.
Although there were other known ‘incidents’ involving CAFU, this would be the only fatal accident which occurred to CAFU aircrew in a CAFU aircraft.
DETATCHMENT
One of the pilots mentioned on detachment to Scotland was Trader Horn. Trader, who had been a Telecommunications Officer, had flown in the maritime navy and had been seconded to the Unit.
By 1952 the detachment, sent to Scotland in 1949, had been gradually ......................
SUPERINTENDENT
Somewhere around this time Mr M. Whitney became the Units Signals Officer, taking over from Mr R.W. Davis.
Mr Whitney was possibly one of the leading figures in the success of CAFU in the field of setting standards of calibration, not only for the U.K., but toward influencing ICAO in setting standards of practice that were in use by the British. Nearly three decades later he would be part of the British team in support of the Plessey Doppler Microwave Landing system proposal to ICAO.
FLIGHT INSPECTION IMPROVEMENTS
Mr Whitney brought about a number of changes to bring fundamental improvements in flight inspection that would eventually lead to the UK leading the way in enabling zero tolerance landings.
(For a description of the tasks that an ILS Flight Inspection entailed see Appendix ...).
To improve the standard of ILS flight calibration within the U.K., one devise used was an Oscilloscope display that had to be viewed under a microscope and required sending, on an annual basis, to the National Physical Laboratory to confirm its accuracy. Ink recorders, which the FAA (Federal Aviation Agency) had produced in America and were made available to other countries around the world, had been installed in some of the CAFU aircraft. However, these were deemed unstable (thought probably due to the draught of air from the ‘Punka Louvre’) and very messy in flight. CAFU came up with a solution ........
NEW RECRUIT
Mr C.M. (Charles) Marchant, who had spent six years with the Royal Navy working on Radio and RADAR equipment, and after the war worked in the Wireless Development Branch of the Post Office, joined the MCA’s Telecommunication Branch and was soon moved to CAFU at Stansted Airport where he was taken on as Mir Whitney’s Deputy, Mr Marchant later became Superintendent himself when Mike Whitney was further promoted to Headquarters later in the 1950’s.
CAMERAS
The Doves, Princes and later the HS748’s, all used the F.. camera which photographed marker boards on the ground. This camera was synchronised with an F.. 35mm camera in the cockpit which took simultaneous photos of the Instrument panel in order to help with the assessment of the calibration. These photos were 5”x 5”.
An F.. camera was used, usually in the Dove G-A, when being flown for the Ordnance Survey flights. These were 9”x9” negatives.
CAFU PILOTS
By the end of 1952 flight magazine reported there were ....... pilots, including the two deputies and Commander. (This number most likely did not include the six seconded from Headquarters in 1949).
WORK OF THE MCA ‘FLYING WING
In October 1952 Flight magazine wrote an article on the work being conducted by the MCA Flying Wing, as they called it.
‘It is doubtful if any other factor has been of such great assistance to. the development of safe and regular air transport as the world-wide acceptance of ground radio aids.......
The MCA. navigational installations in the United Kingdom are now checked in all weathers to maintain the prescribed tolerances.
The article is lengthy and gave an insight of the equipment installed in the Dove aircraft and how certain inspections were carried out.
It made the statement that 'CAFU was ‘the final air measuring tool’! and believed the MCA (CAFU) were ‘working ......................’!
Diagram 3 shows the Telecommunication Dove aerials.
Diagram 3: Flight International 1952
In October 1952 Flight magazine wrote an article on the work being conducted by the MCA Flying Wing, as they called it.
‘It is doubtful if any other factor has been of such great assistance to. the development of safe and regular air transport as the world-wide acceptance of ground radio aids.......
The MCA. navigational installations in the United Kingdom are now checked in all weathers to maintain the prescribed tolerances.
The article is lengthy and gave an insight of the equipment installed in the Dove aircraft and how certain inspections were carried out.
It made the statement that 'CAFU was ‘the final air measuring tool’! and believed the MCA (CAFU) were ‘working ......................’!
Diagram 3 shows the Telecommunication Dove aerials.
Diagram 3: Flight International 1952
1953
AIRCRAFT
At the very beginning of the new year two more Ansons were retired, G-AGWE, going to The Decca Navigation Co. Ltd., and G-AGZT, going to Jersey with Channel Air services Ltd. However, in July CAFU had another Tels Dove, the fourth, registered G-ANAP, although this was principally remembered as being used for Ordnance Survey work.
At this time the colours of the Ansons used for calibration work were blue. The Chipmunk and Doves, however, were mainly silver, but some thought was being given to the requirement for safety; the three Princes for instance which arrived in 1951 were given a trial with Orange day-glow paint. The top of the fuselage was white as was the fin (which had a Civil Air Ensign flag) but the rudder was orange, together with a rear section of each engine. Geoff Gurr, who had joined CAFU this year, reported in his biography "Testing Times" this paint work was not successful as the day-glow orange tended to fade.
QUESTIONS IN THE HOUSE
The question of the Flying Unit’s cost and efficiency was always an issue. In January questions were being asked as to what duties were carried out by the MCA flying Unit, and were told, " The Minister of Civil Aviation is responsible for the safety of civil air transport in these islands.. This entails, among other things, providing and operating the radio and radar services and the ground lighting required. It also entails licensing civil aircrew. The aircraft of the Ministry of Civil Aviation Flying Unit are employed on work essential to these two duties"
Having learnt that the Flying Unit had cost £....,000 in the fiscal year 1951 – 1952, Lord Balfour then asked if the Minister would examine if some of the functions, such as the testing of pilots and calibration of tests, could be carried out more economically and just as successfully, by delegating them to other air operational bodies? The reply given explained ................................
STANSTED RUNWAY EXTENSION
1953 saw runway 05/23 extension work begin by the Americans. The purpose of this was to facilitate a modern American jet bomber base, ..........
COMMANDER
Group Capt G. Donaldson stood down and Capt "Jock" ..... was appointed as the new Commander.
CAFU STAFF
Due to the introduction of the Airways CAFU became extremely busy and a number of new recruits, such as Geoff Gurr and Hugh McDowall were recruited.
FARNBOROUGH
One of the Flight Inspection Doves from CAFU was exhibited at Farnborough ...................
CALIBRATION - CIVIL AVIATION DIRECTORATE
The function of this Directorate was to see that an up to date and efficient system of radio navigational aids and communications was planned, provided and maintained. The requirements which this system had to meet could come from the Directorate of Control and Navigation, from new ICAO standards, from the growth of traffic or from engineering progress. It was composed of three Deputy Directorates of which CAFU was mostly associated with the Deputy Directorate (DD) of TELS ‘E’.
STANSTED AIR DISPLAY
The Bishop’s Stortford branch of the Royal Air Force Association held their second air display at Stansted Airport on the 26th September. CAFU were involved both in the flying and static display. During the mid-afternoon interval, the static show proved a worthy visit. Among the MCA. Telecommunications Unit's exhibits was a Prince, as well as an ingenious model showing S.B.A., A.D.F. and ILS operation. . Most of this report was printed from Flight magazine, but what wasn’t known is that the model had been a co-operative effort by Freddie Constable and Iain Smith ....................
MINISTRY CHANGE
Around the middle of October, after nine years, Civil Aviation was merged from the MCA to the Ministry of Transport, which now became the Ministry of Transport & Civil Aviation (MTCA). This was the first of many changes of Administration.
CAFU AIRCRAFT END OF 1953 = 20 aircraft
Anson (tels)
Consul (I/R)
Dove (4 tels and 1 I/R)
Prince (all tels)
Gemini (Comm)
Chipmunk (CPL & Refresher)
1954
FLIGHT INSPECTION TECHNIQUES
Flight Magazine writes one of the first pieces on the work of the MCA Flying Unit (or Wing as they called it). The article, too long to reproduce here, gives details of the aircraft equipment and techniques used in flight inspection. By the end of the article they remark "They are, in this country, the final air-measuring tool", and "The M.C.A. are "working themselves out of a job"!
VOR’s
Although the VOR was not yet officially adopted as the ICAO preferred short-range navigational aid most airliners had VOR receivers fitted.
AIRCRAFT
During this year all of the telecommunication Ansons were retired, four going to the Wiltshire Flying club and one to the College of aeronautics at Cranfield. The second IR Dove G-ANOV, was received heralding the end of the Consuls used for testing candidates.
CAFU AIRAFT (at the end of 1954) = 15
Consul (I/R)
Dove (Tels & I/R)
Prince (Tels)
Chipmunk (CPL tests)
Gemini (Comm)
1955
PILOTS
By now the Grade I pilots at CAFU were no longer known as Staff Pilots’, but ‘Flight Examiners (FE).
FLIGHT OPERATIONS INSPECTORATE
The Department of Aviation Safety set up the Flight Operations Inspectorate (FOI), whose duty it would be to monitor all aspects of Airline Operating Standards on all British-registered aircraft above a certain weight (12,500 lbs).......................
INSTRUMENT LANDING SYSTEM (ILS)
The Pye Instrument Landing System (ILS), which was developed after experience supporting the RAF BABS system, was adopted by the Royal Air Force in 1946. Further development of the design followed and in 1955 it was adopted by ICAO for use at civil airfields in the UK and overseas. It is believed that the first European Civil installation was at .............
VOR
The controversy in the USA over short range navigation, TACAN and VOR, had caused countries to hold back their VOR programme. TACAN was still not proven and Governments were urged to fulfil the ICAO regional plans for VOR networks at the earliest opportunity.
CAFU AIRCRAFT (remaining at the end of 1955) = 17
Consuls (I/R)
Doves (4 Tels & 5 I/R)
Princes (Tels)
Chipmunk (CPL tests)
AIRCRAFT
At the very beginning of the new year two more Ansons were retired, G-AGWE, going to The Decca Navigation Co. Ltd., and G-AGZT, going to Jersey with Channel Air services Ltd. However, in July CAFU had another Tels Dove, the fourth, registered G-ANAP, although this was principally remembered as being used for Ordnance Survey work.
At this time the colours of the Ansons used for calibration work were blue. The Chipmunk and Doves, however, were mainly silver, but some thought was being given to the requirement for safety; the three Princes for instance which arrived in 1951 were given a trial with Orange day-glow paint. The top of the fuselage was white as was the fin (which had a Civil Air Ensign flag) but the rudder was orange, together with a rear section of each engine. Geoff Gurr, who had joined CAFU this year, reported in his biography "Testing Times" this paint work was not successful as the day-glow orange tended to fade.
QUESTIONS IN THE HOUSE
The question of the Flying Unit’s cost and efficiency was always an issue. In January questions were being asked as to what duties were carried out by the MCA flying Unit, and were told, " The Minister of Civil Aviation is responsible for the safety of civil air transport in these islands.. This entails, among other things, providing and operating the radio and radar services and the ground lighting required. It also entails licensing civil aircrew. The aircraft of the Ministry of Civil Aviation Flying Unit are employed on work essential to these two duties"
Having learnt that the Flying Unit had cost £....,000 in the fiscal year 1951 – 1952, Lord Balfour then asked if the Minister would examine if some of the functions, such as the testing of pilots and calibration of tests, could be carried out more economically and just as successfully, by delegating them to other air operational bodies? The reply given explained ................................
STANSTED RUNWAY EXTENSION
1953 saw runway 05/23 extension work begin by the Americans. The purpose of this was to facilitate a modern American jet bomber base, ..........
COMMANDER
Group Capt G. Donaldson stood down and Capt "Jock" ..... was appointed as the new Commander.
CAFU STAFF
Due to the introduction of the Airways CAFU became extremely busy and a number of new recruits, such as Geoff Gurr and Hugh McDowall were recruited.
FARNBOROUGH
One of the Flight Inspection Doves from CAFU was exhibited at Farnborough ...................
CALIBRATION - CIVIL AVIATION DIRECTORATE
The function of this Directorate was to see that an up to date and efficient system of radio navigational aids and communications was planned, provided and maintained. The requirements which this system had to meet could come from the Directorate of Control and Navigation, from new ICAO standards, from the growth of traffic or from engineering progress. It was composed of three Deputy Directorates of which CAFU was mostly associated with the Deputy Directorate (DD) of TELS ‘E’.
STANSTED AIR DISPLAY
The Bishop’s Stortford branch of the Royal Air Force Association held their second air display at Stansted Airport on the 26th September. CAFU were involved both in the flying and static display. During the mid-afternoon interval, the static show proved a worthy visit. Among the MCA. Telecommunications Unit's exhibits was a Prince, as well as an ingenious model showing S.B.A., A.D.F. and ILS operation. . Most of this report was printed from Flight magazine, but what wasn’t known is that the model had been a co-operative effort by Freddie Constable and Iain Smith ....................
MINISTRY CHANGE
Around the middle of October, after nine years, Civil Aviation was merged from the MCA to the Ministry of Transport, which now became the Ministry of Transport & Civil Aviation (MTCA). This was the first of many changes of Administration.
CAFU AIRCRAFT END OF 1953 = 20 aircraft
Anson (tels)
Consul (I/R)
Dove (4 tels and 1 I/R)
Prince (all tels)
Gemini (Comm)
Chipmunk (CPL & Refresher)
1954
FLIGHT INSPECTION TECHNIQUES
Flight Magazine writes one of the first pieces on the work of the MCA Flying Unit (or Wing as they called it). The article, too long to reproduce here, gives details of the aircraft equipment and techniques used in flight inspection. By the end of the article they remark "They are, in this country, the final air-measuring tool", and "The M.C.A. are "working themselves out of a job"!
VOR’s
Although the VOR was not yet officially adopted as the ICAO preferred short-range navigational aid most airliners had VOR receivers fitted.
AIRCRAFT
During this year all of the telecommunication Ansons were retired, four going to the Wiltshire Flying club and one to the College of aeronautics at Cranfield. The second IR Dove G-ANOV, was received heralding the end of the Consuls used for testing candidates.
CAFU AIRAFT (at the end of 1954) = 15
Consul (I/R)
Dove (Tels & I/R)
Prince (Tels)
Chipmunk (CPL tests)
Gemini (Comm)
1955
PILOTS
By now the Grade I pilots at CAFU were no longer known as Staff Pilots’, but ‘Flight Examiners (FE).
FLIGHT OPERATIONS INSPECTORATE
The Department of Aviation Safety set up the Flight Operations Inspectorate (FOI), whose duty it would be to monitor all aspects of Airline Operating Standards on all British-registered aircraft above a certain weight (12,500 lbs).......................
INSTRUMENT LANDING SYSTEM (ILS)
The Pye Instrument Landing System (ILS), which was developed after experience supporting the RAF BABS system, was adopted by the Royal Air Force in 1946. Further development of the design followed and in 1955 it was adopted by ICAO for use at civil airfields in the UK and overseas. It is believed that the first European Civil installation was at .............
VOR
The controversy in the USA over short range navigation, TACAN and VOR, had caused countries to hold back their VOR programme. TACAN was still not proven and Governments were urged to fulfil the ICAO regional plans for VOR networks at the earliest opportunity.
CAFU AIRCRAFT (remaining at the end of 1955) = 17
Consuls (I/R)
Doves (4 Tels & 5 I/R)
Princes (Tels)
Chipmunk (CPL tests)
G-ANUW CAFU's 5th Instrument Rating Dove with an early trialled paint scheme.
Photo: Eddy Harris
Photo: Eddy Harris
1956
AIRCRAFT
Right at the beginning of this year the third and fourth Airspeed Consuls were retired. G-AJXG going to BKS, G-AJXH off to Eagle Air Services. It wouldn’t be until August that the last Consul would disappear when G-AJXI went to the Brokers yard of W.S. Shackleton Ltd.
TYPE RATING EXAMINERS (TRE)
When the Flight Operations Inspectorate came into being it was soon established that what was required was a standardisation of training and testing across all the UK airlines. These standards would apply to all U.K. Airlines with aircraft above 12,500lbs being flown commercially. This required every pilot to be ‘Type Rated’ on each type of aircraft flown by an individual pilot. A Certificate of competency would be signed and a Certificate of Test (C of T) signed up by a Type Rating Examiner (TRE) requiring renewal every ..................
DELEGATED EXAMINERS
There were so many pilots requiring a Renewal test for their annual Instrument Rating (IR) that it became necessary for CAFU Examiners to train Operators’ pilots to conduct the IR Renewal (IRR) tests, on behalf of the Directorate of Flight Crew Licensing, on their own company pilots. These pilots became known as Delegated Examiners (DEs), later known as Authorised Examiners (AEs)........................
NAVIGATIONAL AIDS
It was the United Kingdom view that Decca was the finest available short-range aid, and had placed on record that it was their official intention to designate Decca as the aid on which U.K. Air-Traffic procedures would be based,
Two British systems were selected by ICAO for development as long range navigational aids. These were Dectra and Delrac, and discussions were already in progress with the Decca Navigator Company aimed at installing an experimental Dectra layout covering the Prestwick - Gander route.
AIRCRAFT
Right at the beginning of this year the third and fourth Airspeed Consuls were retired. G-AJXG going to BKS, G-AJXH off to Eagle Air Services. It wouldn’t be until August that the last Consul would disappear when G-AJXI went to the Brokers yard of W.S. Shackleton Ltd.
TYPE RATING EXAMINERS (TRE)
When the Flight Operations Inspectorate came into being it was soon established that what was required was a standardisation of training and testing across all the UK airlines. These standards would apply to all U.K. Airlines with aircraft above 12,500lbs being flown commercially. This required every pilot to be ‘Type Rated’ on each type of aircraft flown by an individual pilot. A Certificate of competency would be signed and a Certificate of Test (C of T) signed up by a Type Rating Examiner (TRE) requiring renewal every ..................
DELEGATED EXAMINERS
There were so many pilots requiring a Renewal test for their annual Instrument Rating (IR) that it became necessary for CAFU Examiners to train Operators’ pilots to conduct the IR Renewal (IRR) tests, on behalf of the Directorate of Flight Crew Licensing, on their own company pilots. These pilots became known as Delegated Examiners (DEs), later known as Authorised Examiners (AEs)........................
NAVIGATIONAL AIDS
It was the United Kingdom view that Decca was the finest available short-range aid, and had placed on record that it was their official intention to designate Decca as the aid on which U.K. Air-Traffic procedures would be based,
Two British systems were selected by ICAO for development as long range navigational aids. These were Dectra and Delrac, and discussions were already in progress with the Decca Navigator Company aimed at installing an experimental Dectra layout covering the Prestwick - Gander route.
1957
STANSTED AIRPORT
The extension to the main runway, which the Americans had started in 1953, was completed in April.
NAVIGATION AIDS
There were an increasing number of aids to be flight inspected in this era as more airways were being defined.
By now ICAO had specified that VOR (VHF omni-directional radio range) with DME (1,000 Mc/s distance-measuring equipment) should be the international standard short-range navigational aid.
As promised back in 1954, the installation of a number of VORs had taken place in the UK. ......................
STANSTED AIRPORT
The extension to the main runway, which the Americans had started in 1953, was completed in April.
NAVIGATION AIDS
There were an increasing number of aids to be flight inspected in this era as more airways were being defined.
By now ICAO had specified that VOR (VHF omni-directional radio range) with DME (1,000 Mc/s distance-measuring equipment) should be the international standard short-range navigational aid.
As promised back in 1954, the installation of a number of VORs had taken place in the UK. ......................
1958
AIRPORTS
By spring, a control zone and associated airways radiating from Gatwick were to be established. Gatwick airport re-opens on the 9th June.
SHORT RANGE NAVIGATIONAL AIDS
In August the MTCA published an Information Circular relating to the United Kingdom’s policy on short range navigational aids and summarized Air Traffic Control requirements as follows:
(1) The maximum utilization, of controlled air space must be achieved
(2) A high-capacity route structure must be provided
(3) Aircraft must be given the greatest possible freedom in the vertical plane.
They stated that VOR, NDB, radio range and similar systems, could not provide the necessary facilities (though a limited number of VOR beacons were being installed along the airways).
IATA
At a technical conference in Tokyo, IATA were firmly endorsing the VOR on a building block basis, supplemented by DME, in their consideration of an en route and terminal navigational aid.
AIRCRAFT
In April, after twelve months use of the new extended runway at Stansted, CAFU had an additional telecommunications aircraft, the Percival President, G-APMO. The President was, externally, very similar to the three Princes which CAFU were already using for Flight Inspections. About the only external difference to be spotted, and then not easily, were the twin main-wheels.
Up until this time the aircraft had mainly been in a black and silver livery. But ...........................
AIRCRAFT (end of 1958) = 15
Dove (4 Tels & 5 I/R)
Prince (Tels)
President (Tels)
Chipmunk (CPL tests, Ref & Trng)
Dove (4 Tels & 5 I/R)
Prince (Tels)
President (Tels)
Chipmunk (CPL tests, Ref & Trng)
Not many photos around of the Doves in their new colour scheme but here is G-ALFU as seen at the IWM Hendon in 2009, or was it Duxford as at least two people remark that the Comet and Hastings are not at the IWM.
Photo: J Fuller
Photo: J Fuller
G-APMO the President, in one of the early attempts at a new colour scheme with the Day-Glow paint.
Photo: Peter Moon, courtesy Eddy Harris
Photo: Peter Moon, courtesy Eddy Harris
1959
TELECOMMUNICATIONS SUPERINTENDENT
Late in the 1950’s, Mr M. Whitney was promoted to Head quarters. Mike, who had joined CAFU at Stansted in the early Fifties, had been instrumental in the improvements to calibration techniques. He was succeeded by his Deputy, Mr Charles Marchant.
AIRPORTS LANDING AID
Stansted Airport, which in the fifties had SBA (Stndard Beam Approach) as an approach to landing, now had a CA1000 ILS, with Marker Beacons, installed. This enabled............................... Heathrow, it is believed had STAN 7, 8 and 9 ILS (9 = the Marker Beacons).
TYPE RATINGS
CAFU Examiners were now to be 'type rated' on the company aircraft type that they were involved with. This involved Type Conversion courses for all the Senior Flight Examiners. This was in addition to the type ratings they already held on school type and CAFU's own aircraft.
ALL WEATHER OPERATION REQUIREMENT
A requirement to achieve ‘All Weather’ operations caused the Telecommunication department to seek improved ways of calibrating ILS Bends, caused by reflections of the ILS signals arriving from airport buildings or the movement and or presence of vehicular traffic in the vicinity of the runway aid. It had been earlier thought that this problem would never allow the ILS to be flown down to the ground.
ICAO DECISION - VOR
It was now reported that in March ICAO had decided on the VOR as the recommended international short-range aid, in preference to the British DECCA area-coverage system. BEA had installed DECCA in their aircraft, believing that it would be adopted, at least for European operations.
MINISTRY CHANGE
After six years with the MTCA, civil aviation was passed to another newly created aviation ministry, the Ministry of Aviation (MoA).
AIRCRAFT
At the end of this decade CAFU had .... aircraft: doves, Princes, President and Chipmunk.
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