1960 - 1969
1960
SIMULATORS
In the 1960’s simulators were introduced into airline flight training syllabi. This saw the involvement of CAFU’s Senior Flight examiners (SFE), being involved in the Initial and Renewal certification of these machines for both the training and ................ ......................
MAINTENANCE
Field Aircraft services Ltd had a four year contract for maintenance of CAFU aircraft.
CALIBRATION
Charles Marchant reported that the size of the U.K. commitment to civil inspection had now risen per annum to:
ILS ... per year
VOR ... per yea
PAR ... per year
DECCA 424 ... per year
Fan Marker ... per year
VHF/DF ... per year
Radio Range ... per year
Occasionally, special Inspections were carried out on VHF R/T , Surveillance Radar and NDB coverage, all tasks met by the CAFU aircraft: Hunting Princes, Hunting President, de Havilland Doves.
The Flight Inspection Crew consisted of Pilot, Navigator, and a Grade 1 Telecommunications Technical Officer (i.e. a Navigational Aid Inspector).
CAFU STAFF
AT 31ST December 1960 :
Complement Actual Strength
Staff Exmnrs Staff Exmnrs
77 (20) 69 (17)
This was taken from Hansard .. March, 1970 volume ...
SIMULATORS
In the 1960’s simulators were introduced into airline flight training syllabi. This saw the involvement of CAFU’s Senior Flight examiners (SFE), being involved in the Initial and Renewal certification of these machines for both the training and ................ ......................
MAINTENANCE
Field Aircraft services Ltd had a four year contract for maintenance of CAFU aircraft.
CALIBRATION
Charles Marchant reported that the size of the U.K. commitment to civil inspection had now risen per annum to:
ILS ... per year
VOR ... per yea
PAR ... per year
DECCA 424 ... per year
Fan Marker ... per year
VHF/DF ... per year
Radio Range ... per year
Occasionally, special Inspections were carried out on VHF R/T , Surveillance Radar and NDB coverage, all tasks met by the CAFU aircraft: Hunting Princes, Hunting President, de Havilland Doves.
The Flight Inspection Crew consisted of Pilot, Navigator, and a Grade 1 Telecommunications Technical Officer (i.e. a Navigational Aid Inspector).
CAFU STAFF
AT 31ST December 1960 :
Complement Actual Strength
Staff Exmnrs Staff Exmnrs
77 (20) 69 (17)
This was taken from Hansard .. March, 1970 volume ...
1961
COLLEGE OF AIR TRAINING
The two Airways Corporations, BOAC & BEA, set up a joint pilot training establishment at Hamble in Hampshire, called the College of Air Training (CAT). The first students were due to complete their courses in June 19.. when CAFU Examiners would be involved. The College used DHC Chipmunks for the day GFT, and PA23s for GFT4 and IR’s.
CALIBRATION
All radio and radar aids used in the navigation of aircraft in the UK required continual flight inspections by CAFU. As a member state of ICAO, the UK undertook to ensure that all UK aids conformed to internationally agreed standards. The Prince and Dove aircraft used for Flight Inspection work were continually modified by the telecommunication staff of CAFU to accommodate new navigation equipment, or any changes to the method of calibration measurement.
AIR REGISTRATION BOARD (ARB)
In 1961 the Air Registration Board (ARB) published Paper ..., Airworthiness Requirements for Auto-flare and Automatic Landing, which admitted that at that time it was not felt possible to write firm requirements. The British target was automatic landing, not merely automatic approach.
CAFU STAFF
AT 31ST December 1961 :
Complement Actual Strength
Staff Exmnrs Staff Exmnrs
81 (20) 77 (20)
1962
On the Retirement of Capt "Jock" Keir, the post of commander was taken over by Capt B.E.E (Bee) Marshall. Bee Marshall was probably one of the most successful pilots in this post having assisted in the construction of tests for the new Licences, as well as pioneering the development of screens, to replace the old two-stage amber system, for the Commercial and Instrument Rating tests.
SUPERINTENDENT
The Telecommunications Superintendent, responsible for the airborne technicians (NAI’s), also controlled a staff of some ... Tels ground Engineers, who installed and maintained the airborne equipment; photographers; draughtsmen, and supporting executives; Storemen and Cleaners.
ADMINISTRATION
The Unit Administrative Officer, a Mr G.L. Russell, had a staff of around .... whose duties included Technical Records, where the aircraft logs were kept, as well as staff in the Cost Accounts office, Drivers and Cleaners.
OPERATIONS
Operations consisted of an Operations Officer, who had a separate office, and a Briefing Officer who controlled the Operations area together with an Air Traffic Control Assistant (ATCA).
CAFU STAFF
AT 31ST December 1962 :
Complement Actual Strength
Staff Exmnr Staff Exmnr
86 (20) .. (..)
1963
ICAO
As an intermediate step in the development of a true blind landing system, ICAO introduced more rigorous standards for the Instrument Landing System in use at U.K. and International Airfields. The new standard required would enable an aircraft to approach a runway down to 100 feet. The current standard, CAT I, allowed an approach down to a runway threshold height of 200 feet, or higher, according to the country, airfield and pilot experience.
ICAO INSTRUMENT LANDING CATEGORY STANDARDS
Category DH (ft) DH (mtrs) RVR (ft) RVR (mtrs)
CAT I 200 60 2600 800
CAT 2 100 30 1200 400
(CAT 2 was 60mtrs or below but not less than 30mtrs.)
CALIBRATION
Due to the new standards of flight inspection being asked by ICAO, CAFU sought new ways to flight inspect the instrument landing system. Under the control of the Superintendent Mr A.C. Marchant, together with his staff, CAFU finally adopted a ground based optical and electrical equipment, known as a Telecroscope.
AIRCRAFT
The DH125 was being considered by CAFU for short range communication flights for Ministers.
It was also seen that the relatively old Princes and Doves doing the Flight Calibration role would soon need to be replaced. What was required were larger aircraft which could operate higher altitudes and fly auto-coupled approaches down to 100 feet.
In May the DHC1 Chipmunk, G-AMMA, was de-registered and sold to the Luton flying Club.
RETIREMENT
In June, Captain A.D.L. (Dan) Carroll, O.B.E., the Squadron Leader who had been seconded from the RAF in 1944 to Command the Civil Operations Fleet, which later led to the formation of the Civil Aviation Flying Unit, retired after an almost 20 year association with CAFU ....................
HELICOPTERS
CAFU were authorised to commence training with one of its senior Examiners (Capt G.B. Gurr) as well as the recruitment of helicopter trained staff, both for CAFU and the Flight Operations Inspectorate.
OTHER CAFU TASKS
Listed here are some of the numerous tasks undertaken by CAFU and/or qualified Operational Staff from Headquarters:
Ordnance survey
Lighting .................
Noise ....................
Let-Down procedures
Disability ...............
Oil .........................
Dinghy ..................
ATC procedures
Ab Initio pilot training of ................
To these tasks could be added the regular training programme for both CAFU pilots and all those persons cleared to fly on CAFU aircraft, who themselves had to pass the tests required by law and the CAFU Operations Manual. Roughly they were:
Doves / Prince/President
CHECK Frequency
Base Check six monthly
Line Check 13 monthly
Instrument Rating 13 monthly
Chipmunk CoT annual
Instructor Rating three yearly (when held)
MEDICALS six monthly (over 40’s required an annual ECG)
CAFU STAFF
AT 31ST December 1963 :
Complement Actual Strength
Staff Exmnrs Staff Exmnrs
105 (25) .. (..)
Source: Hansard .. March 19.. vol...
AIRCRAFT
Doves, Princes, Chipmunk, President = ........
1964
CORPORATION AIRCRAFT
In February a Certificate of Airworthiness was granted, after more than two years and 1600 hours of flight testing, to the HS21 Trident, a three engine airliner destined for the BEA fleet. CAFU Captain Jack Picken was Type Rated on this aircraft.
The Vickers VC10, which had its maiden flight in June 1962, went into service with B.O.A.C. Capt Marshall then Capt Don Tucker were Type Rated.
The BAC One-Eleven went into service with BEA. Capt. C.M. (Jimmy) Joy of CAFU would be Type-Rated on this aircraft.
EXAMINING
At Stansted there was a backlog of candidates for both the General Flying Test (GFT) for the Commercial Pilots licence (CPL) and the Instrument Rating test (IRT). After making a booking, candidates would have to wait around .............................................
The main schools for candidates wishing to obtain their CPL and or IRT at this time were the College of Air Training (CAT) at Hamble run by the two Corporations BEA and BOAC, Airwork Services Training (AST) at Perth in Scotland, and the Oxford Air Training School (OATS) at Oxford Kidlington airport.
AIRCRAFT
Later in the year Hawker Siddeley brought their HS748 demonstrator, a low-wing twin turboprop aircraft, to Stansted for CAFU to assess as a replacement for the ageing Doves and Princes. It appeared eminently suitable, writes Geoff Gurr, albeit somewhat slow.
In November a visit was made to the Hawker Siddeley factory at Hawarden to see a series 1 HS125 which was nearing the end of the production line
COMMAND
In command at this time were:
CAFU Commander, Captain B.E.E. Marshall.
Telecommunication Superintendant Charles (Charlie) Marchant.
Senior Navigator Eric Jenkins
Senior Navaid Inspector Alec Barrett.
The Commander, Capt. BEE Marshall, had two deputies,
Deputy ‘A’, Captain G.B. Gurr, and
Deputy ‘B’, Captain W.A. Wooden.
Deputy ‘A’ was primarily responsible for the flying aspects of the Unit’s work and maintaining pilot competency. In addition he had a special task, developing an instrument
CAFU STAFF
It was thought that around this time there were nine Navigators and six Navaid Inspectors, with around 40 ground telecommunication engineers.
At 31ST December 1964 :
Complement Actual Strength
Staff Exmnrs Staff Exmnrs
110 (25) ... (..)
1965
CAFU STRUCTURE
While working mainly on behalf of the Directorates of Safety and the Telecommunications Engineering Headquarters, administratively CAFU was under the control of the .................... These were the areas of responsibility that CAFU worked:
Directorate of Safety
Flight examinations for pilot proficiency.
Directorate of Air Telecommunications
Flight Inspections of en-route navaids, instrument landing installations & radar.
School of Air traffic control @ Hurn
Flying as Radar Targets for ‘talk-down’ ATC trainees
AIRPORTS
The British Airports Authority (BAA) was set-up as a Government Agency to run London Heathrow, Gatwick and Stansted Airports, as well as Glasgow (Privatised in 1987).
LICENSING
At the beginning of the year Capt Gurr was in discussion with BEAH on how to clear the S61N helicopter, together with its pilots, for IFR flights ...................
AIRCRAFT
Towards the end of this year it had been decided that the replacement for the ageing Telecommunication Doves and Percival aircraft was to be the Hawker Siddeley HS748.
HS21 AUTOLAND
In ........, a BEA Trident, G-ARPR, flew from Paris to Heathrow making the world’s first Autoflare on a commercial flight.
CALIBRATION
The Prince aircraft was fitted with a nose Lamp by Field Aircraft Services, for trialling experiments with the Telecroscope.
With the new Tels Flight Inspection aircraft to be received at Stansted in the near future, CAFU’s Eddy Harris was appointed as Project Manager, with Eric Edmondson as his assistant, in the installation of new equipment to be installed in the HS748.
At this time CAFU were flight testing a new Doppler .............. — (see Appendix B). At the same time CAFU were still flight inspecting the S.............
AIRCRAFT DEMONSTRATION
As well as having already had demonstrations of the latest Smiths Flight System, SFS6, with its associated SEP6 autopilot which was about to be launched, CAFU were invited to witness demonstrations at Bedford by the Blind Landing Experimental Unit with their Varsity.
CAFU PILOTS
Pilots were organised into advisory groups covering:
Air Safety
Examining
Telecommunications
Survey
Emergency equipment
Air Traffic Control (ATC) liaison.
Between them CAFU Pilots were Type Rated on more than 30 different types of aircraft — all the types on the British register — with a Public Transport Certificate of Airworthiness (C of A). CAFU pilot type ratings ranged from single engine DHC Chipmunks to multi-engine jet aircraft such as the Boeing B707 and Vickers VC10. At this time it was the policy of the Unit that every senior pilot should take his turn at every form of duty — alternately based at the home airfield and away from Base (AFB). Thus, examining flights were alternated with radar target-flying and with telecommunication flight checking or V.I.P. communication flights. It was found that the various duties were complimentary; experience gained in precision flying for navaid inspection work being of value in examining pilots undertaking an instrument rating examination. Also, familiarity flying the larger commercial aircraft assisted assessing the ‘flyability’ of navaids.
HELICOPTER
Details of the proposed test for the issue of a Certificate of Competence Test (C of C) to fly helicopters in Controlled Airspace, in accordance with Instrument Flight Rules (IFR), were completed. However, as appropriate legislation had not yet been changed .............
CAFU STAFF
AT 31ST December 1965 :
Complement Actual Strength
Staff Exmnrs Staff Exmnrs
120 (25) ... (..)
There were nine Navigators and six NAI’s at this time.
AIRCRAFT (end of 1965 = 14)
President (ILS, VOR, inspections etc.).
Prince (ILS, VOR, inspections etc.).
Dove (tels) (ILS, VOR, inspections etc.).
Dove (IR) (testing, training, refresher flying, communication etc.).
Chipmunk (testing, Instructor training, refresher flying).
COLLEGE OF AIR TRAINING
The two Airways Corporations, BOAC & BEA, set up a joint pilot training establishment at Hamble in Hampshire, called the College of Air Training (CAT). The first students were due to complete their courses in June 19.. when CAFU Examiners would be involved. The College used DHC Chipmunks for the day GFT, and PA23s for GFT4 and IR’s.
CALIBRATION
All radio and radar aids used in the navigation of aircraft in the UK required continual flight inspections by CAFU. As a member state of ICAO, the UK undertook to ensure that all UK aids conformed to internationally agreed standards. The Prince and Dove aircraft used for Flight Inspection work were continually modified by the telecommunication staff of CAFU to accommodate new navigation equipment, or any changes to the method of calibration measurement.
AIR REGISTRATION BOARD (ARB)
In 1961 the Air Registration Board (ARB) published Paper ..., Airworthiness Requirements for Auto-flare and Automatic Landing, which admitted that at that time it was not felt possible to write firm requirements. The British target was automatic landing, not merely automatic approach.
CAFU STAFF
AT 31ST December 1961 :
Complement Actual Strength
Staff Exmnrs Staff Exmnrs
81 (20) 77 (20)
1962
On the Retirement of Capt "Jock" Keir, the post of commander was taken over by Capt B.E.E (Bee) Marshall. Bee Marshall was probably one of the most successful pilots in this post having assisted in the construction of tests for the new Licences, as well as pioneering the development of screens, to replace the old two-stage amber system, for the Commercial and Instrument Rating tests.
SUPERINTENDENT
The Telecommunications Superintendent, responsible for the airborne technicians (NAI’s), also controlled a staff of some ... Tels ground Engineers, who installed and maintained the airborne equipment; photographers; draughtsmen, and supporting executives; Storemen and Cleaners.
ADMINISTRATION
The Unit Administrative Officer, a Mr G.L. Russell, had a staff of around .... whose duties included Technical Records, where the aircraft logs were kept, as well as staff in the Cost Accounts office, Drivers and Cleaners.
OPERATIONS
Operations consisted of an Operations Officer, who had a separate office, and a Briefing Officer who controlled the Operations area together with an Air Traffic Control Assistant (ATCA).
CAFU STAFF
AT 31ST December 1962 :
Complement Actual Strength
Staff Exmnr Staff Exmnr
86 (20) .. (..)
1963
ICAO
As an intermediate step in the development of a true blind landing system, ICAO introduced more rigorous standards for the Instrument Landing System in use at U.K. and International Airfields. The new standard required would enable an aircraft to approach a runway down to 100 feet. The current standard, CAT I, allowed an approach down to a runway threshold height of 200 feet, or higher, according to the country, airfield and pilot experience.
ICAO INSTRUMENT LANDING CATEGORY STANDARDS
Category DH (ft) DH (mtrs) RVR (ft) RVR (mtrs)
CAT I 200 60 2600 800
CAT 2 100 30 1200 400
(CAT 2 was 60mtrs or below but not less than 30mtrs.)
CALIBRATION
Due to the new standards of flight inspection being asked by ICAO, CAFU sought new ways to flight inspect the instrument landing system. Under the control of the Superintendent Mr A.C. Marchant, together with his staff, CAFU finally adopted a ground based optical and electrical equipment, known as a Telecroscope.
AIRCRAFT
The DH125 was being considered by CAFU for short range communication flights for Ministers.
It was also seen that the relatively old Princes and Doves doing the Flight Calibration role would soon need to be replaced. What was required were larger aircraft which could operate higher altitudes and fly auto-coupled approaches down to 100 feet.
In May the DHC1 Chipmunk, G-AMMA, was de-registered and sold to the Luton flying Club.
RETIREMENT
In June, Captain A.D.L. (Dan) Carroll, O.B.E., the Squadron Leader who had been seconded from the RAF in 1944 to Command the Civil Operations Fleet, which later led to the formation of the Civil Aviation Flying Unit, retired after an almost 20 year association with CAFU ....................
HELICOPTERS
CAFU were authorised to commence training with one of its senior Examiners (Capt G.B. Gurr) as well as the recruitment of helicopter trained staff, both for CAFU and the Flight Operations Inspectorate.
OTHER CAFU TASKS
Listed here are some of the numerous tasks undertaken by CAFU and/or qualified Operational Staff from Headquarters:
Ordnance survey
Lighting .................
Noise ....................
Let-Down procedures
Disability ...............
Oil .........................
Dinghy ..................
ATC procedures
Ab Initio pilot training of ................
To these tasks could be added the regular training programme for both CAFU pilots and all those persons cleared to fly on CAFU aircraft, who themselves had to pass the tests required by law and the CAFU Operations Manual. Roughly they were:
Doves / Prince/President
CHECK Frequency
Base Check six monthly
Line Check 13 monthly
Instrument Rating 13 monthly
Chipmunk CoT annual
Instructor Rating three yearly (when held)
MEDICALS six monthly (over 40’s required an annual ECG)
CAFU STAFF
AT 31ST December 1963 :
Complement Actual Strength
Staff Exmnrs Staff Exmnrs
105 (25) .. (..)
Source: Hansard .. March 19.. vol...
AIRCRAFT
Doves, Princes, Chipmunk, President = ........
1964
CORPORATION AIRCRAFT
In February a Certificate of Airworthiness was granted, after more than two years and 1600 hours of flight testing, to the HS21 Trident, a three engine airliner destined for the BEA fleet. CAFU Captain Jack Picken was Type Rated on this aircraft.
The Vickers VC10, which had its maiden flight in June 1962, went into service with B.O.A.C. Capt Marshall then Capt Don Tucker were Type Rated.
The BAC One-Eleven went into service with BEA. Capt. C.M. (Jimmy) Joy of CAFU would be Type-Rated on this aircraft.
EXAMINING
At Stansted there was a backlog of candidates for both the General Flying Test (GFT) for the Commercial Pilots licence (CPL) and the Instrument Rating test (IRT). After making a booking, candidates would have to wait around .............................................
The main schools for candidates wishing to obtain their CPL and or IRT at this time were the College of Air Training (CAT) at Hamble run by the two Corporations BEA and BOAC, Airwork Services Training (AST) at Perth in Scotland, and the Oxford Air Training School (OATS) at Oxford Kidlington airport.
AIRCRAFT
Later in the year Hawker Siddeley brought their HS748 demonstrator, a low-wing twin turboprop aircraft, to Stansted for CAFU to assess as a replacement for the ageing Doves and Princes. It appeared eminently suitable, writes Geoff Gurr, albeit somewhat slow.
In November a visit was made to the Hawker Siddeley factory at Hawarden to see a series 1 HS125 which was nearing the end of the production line
COMMAND
In command at this time were:
CAFU Commander, Captain B.E.E. Marshall.
Telecommunication Superintendant Charles (Charlie) Marchant.
Senior Navigator Eric Jenkins
Senior Navaid Inspector Alec Barrett.
The Commander, Capt. BEE Marshall, had two deputies,
Deputy ‘A’, Captain G.B. Gurr, and
Deputy ‘B’, Captain W.A. Wooden.
Deputy ‘A’ was primarily responsible for the flying aspects of the Unit’s work and maintaining pilot competency. In addition he had a special task, developing an instrument
CAFU STAFF
It was thought that around this time there were nine Navigators and six Navaid Inspectors, with around 40 ground telecommunication engineers.
At 31ST December 1964 :
Complement Actual Strength
Staff Exmnrs Staff Exmnrs
110 (25) ... (..)
1965
CAFU STRUCTURE
While working mainly on behalf of the Directorates of Safety and the Telecommunications Engineering Headquarters, administratively CAFU was under the control of the .................... These were the areas of responsibility that CAFU worked:
Directorate of Safety
Flight examinations for pilot proficiency.
Directorate of Air Telecommunications
Flight Inspections of en-route navaids, instrument landing installations & radar.
School of Air traffic control @ Hurn
Flying as Radar Targets for ‘talk-down’ ATC trainees
AIRPORTS
The British Airports Authority (BAA) was set-up as a Government Agency to run London Heathrow, Gatwick and Stansted Airports, as well as Glasgow (Privatised in 1987).
LICENSING
At the beginning of the year Capt Gurr was in discussion with BEAH on how to clear the S61N helicopter, together with its pilots, for IFR flights ...................
AIRCRAFT
Towards the end of this year it had been decided that the replacement for the ageing Telecommunication Doves and Percival aircraft was to be the Hawker Siddeley HS748.
HS21 AUTOLAND
In ........, a BEA Trident, G-ARPR, flew from Paris to Heathrow making the world’s first Autoflare on a commercial flight.
CALIBRATION
The Prince aircraft was fitted with a nose Lamp by Field Aircraft Services, for trialling experiments with the Telecroscope.
With the new Tels Flight Inspection aircraft to be received at Stansted in the near future, CAFU’s Eddy Harris was appointed as Project Manager, with Eric Edmondson as his assistant, in the installation of new equipment to be installed in the HS748.
At this time CAFU were flight testing a new Doppler .............. — (see Appendix B). At the same time CAFU were still flight inspecting the S.............
AIRCRAFT DEMONSTRATION
As well as having already had demonstrations of the latest Smiths Flight System, SFS6, with its associated SEP6 autopilot which was about to be launched, CAFU were invited to witness demonstrations at Bedford by the Blind Landing Experimental Unit with their Varsity.
CAFU PILOTS
Pilots were organised into advisory groups covering:
Air Safety
Examining
Telecommunications
Survey
Emergency equipment
Air Traffic Control (ATC) liaison.
Between them CAFU Pilots were Type Rated on more than 30 different types of aircraft — all the types on the British register — with a Public Transport Certificate of Airworthiness (C of A). CAFU pilot type ratings ranged from single engine DHC Chipmunks to multi-engine jet aircraft such as the Boeing B707 and Vickers VC10. At this time it was the policy of the Unit that every senior pilot should take his turn at every form of duty — alternately based at the home airfield and away from Base (AFB). Thus, examining flights were alternated with radar target-flying and with telecommunication flight checking or V.I.P. communication flights. It was found that the various duties were complimentary; experience gained in precision flying for navaid inspection work being of value in examining pilots undertaking an instrument rating examination. Also, familiarity flying the larger commercial aircraft assisted assessing the ‘flyability’ of navaids.
HELICOPTER
Details of the proposed test for the issue of a Certificate of Competence Test (C of C) to fly helicopters in Controlled Airspace, in accordance with Instrument Flight Rules (IFR), were completed. However, as appropriate legislation had not yet been changed .............
CAFU STAFF
AT 31ST December 1965 :
Complement Actual Strength
Staff Exmnrs Staff Exmnrs
120 (25) ... (..)
There were nine Navigators and six NAI’s at this time.
AIRCRAFT (end of 1965 = 14)
President (ILS, VOR, inspections etc.).
Prince (ILS, VOR, inspections etc.).
Dove (tels) (ILS, VOR, inspections etc.).
Dove (IR) (testing, training, refresher flying, communication etc.).
Chipmunk (testing, Instructor training, refresher flying).
Prince, G-AMKW, trialling the nose lamp.
Photo: Peter Moon, Courtesy Eddy Harris
Photo: Peter Moon, Courtesy Eddy Harris
1966
MINSTRY CHANGE
Seven years after the creation of the MoA, civil aviation was again passed to another Ministry, the Board of Trade (BOT), in the belief that this was where civil aviation matters should abide. Roy Jenkins was the last Minister of Aviation and was now appointed as the new Home Secretary.
TRAINING INSPECTIONS
By 1966 there were some forty British operating companies holding an Air Operators Certificate (AOC) with around 400 airline Training Captains at this time for which CAFU were required to keep records.
AIRCRAFT
Five years had gone by since the last addition to the CAFU fleet, but with a new requirement for a high level radar target aircraft, to enable the development of new area radar equipment for Air Traffic Control’s upper air services, CAFU was brought up-to-date in February with its first jet aircraft, the HS125, G-ATPC. One of the first VIP flights carried out by CAFU in the new executive jet was when they carried the UK Home Secretary, .............
NAVIGATORS
Unlike the Doves and Princes, the HS748’s would require to be operated with two pilots, although certain flight inspections would still necessitate the skills of a Flight Navigator in the right hand seat. CAFU found an easy solution to this problem by training their Navigators for co-pilot duties. They were sent to the Oxford Air training school, which took place between 1966 and 1968, where most of them gained the Commercial Pilots’ Licence (CPL) and Instrument rating (IR). Two of them, Capt Benn Gun and Ian Selwyn went further, gaining Instructor Ratings and eventually becoming Flight Examiner II (FEII) grade. Dick Hawkes went on to gain his ATPL becoming a Tels 748 captain. Only a small minority, ................ and ......................, elected to remain Flight Navigators.
HELICOPTER
With an increasing workload for the sole CAFU pilot now cleared to fly helicopters (Capt Gurr), the BOT engaged the services of a second pilot, Capt D. (Don) Sissons.
SEEKING ALL WEATHER OPERATIONS FOR CIVIL AIRCRAFT
The new precise standard being set by ICAO was known as Category II ILS, scheduled for use at major UK airports.
One of the requisites for the new CAFU HS748 aircraft was to enable further development of a more precise methods of ILS calibration, as it was doubted, up to this point, that an ILS could guide an aircraft safely down to zero limits. For this reason CAFU were engaged in developing a new system of calibration that could provide the required accuracy for this element of the Categorisation. The aim that the Telecommunications department was seeking .................................... such that, with other criteria, civil aircraft could achieve ‘All Weather Operations’.
CALIBRATION - PERIODICITY
The time interval between the calibration of an aid varied with the type of aid being inspected. Routine flight inspections were carried out on:
... ILS installations every ... months, and .... more checked monthly.
... VOR en Route aids and one TACAN, seen every ...... months.
... Type 2000 radars, seen every ... months.
... Decca 424 radars and one Marconi radar every ..... months.
Marker beacons every ... months.
HEATHROW ILS
Runway 10L at London (Heathrow) Airport became the first in the world to be promulgated for Category II operation. The Standard Telephone and cables (STC) STAN 7/8 ILS served runway 10L and three other runways at London’s Heathrow Airport.
CAFU STAFF
AT 31ST December 1966:
Complement Actual Strength
Staff Exmnrs Staff Exmnrs
138 (29) ... (..)
As can be seen from the Hansard information ( March 19.. vol...) there was a shortage of overall staff and Examiners were ..% down on compliment.
HS125 G-ATPC one of the first of a batch of ten. N.B. six pax windows.
Registered to the MCA in February of 1966.
Photo: Peter Moon, courtesy Eddy Harris
Registered to the MCA in February of 1966.
Photo: Peter Moon, courtesy Eddy Harris
1967
EDWARDS REVIEW
In July the Government set up a Committee of Inquiry under the Chairmanship of Sir Ronald Edwards, to inquire into Britain’s Civil Air Transport. Part of its remit was to inquire into the:
Economic and financial situation
Method of Regulating Competition and Licensing and
Development of Safety
STATISTICS (past twelve months up to 31st March 1967 ............................
STAN 37/38/39 ILS TO CAT 3 STANDARD ......................................
CALIBRATION
The work of CAFU had been reported on by Flight magazine, first in the fifties and now again at a time of change in the sixties. Their article from ..................
AUTOLAND DEVELOPMENT
Up until now, seven British types had performed automatic landings; Argosy, Belfast, Comet, Canberra, Varsity, Trident and VC10. The Trident 1 flight trials, which had finished in January, 1967, provided data for triplex operation down to Category 3a weather conditions.
COMMAND
By 1967 the Commander was, Capt.G.B. Gurr. His two deputies were now,
Deputy ‘A’, Captain W.A. Wooden
Deputy ‘B’, Capt. D.L. Hale
Deputy ‘C’ Capt S. Spence
SUPERINTENDENTTELECOMMUNICATION
The Superintendent, Charles Marchant, promoted to Headquarters, Mr W. (Bill) Aitkin takes up the position.
CAFU STAFF
AT 31ST December 1967:
Complement Actual Strength
Staff Exmnrs Staff Exmnrs
144 (29) ... (..)
There were believed to nine navigators and seven NAI’s at this time.
AIRCRAFT
Total number of Aircraft at CAFU end of 1968 = .........
Diagram:
Structure of CAFU Tels 1967
Diagram: Eddy harris
Structure of CAFU Tels 1967
Diagram: Eddy harris
1968
BOARD OF TRADE
President of the Board of Trade (BOT), Anthony Crosland.
BOT SPECIAL REVIEW ON THE SAFETY PERFORMANCE OF UK OPERATORS
In this Special review (see ..... 196?) set up by the former President of the Board of trade (BOT) Mr Douglas Jay, they made many suggestions and recommendations which were put forward to the Edwards Review.
EDWARDS REVIEW
After nearly two years the findings.................
The consequence of both reviews to CAFU ..............................
LICENSING
April, CAT at Hamble had delivery of the first of eleven new aircraft, Beech Barons, a twin aircraft type not often seen by CAFU Examiners who would now require another type on their Licence as CAT had previously used Piper PA23 and DHC1 Chipmunk aircraft.
CONCORDE
Capt John Oliver informed that he was being put forward as the Training Inspector for Concorde. John was one of the junior Examiners in the Fleet at the time.
He attended the first Concorde Introductory Course on the 31st December.
AIRCRAFT
The two HS748 aircraft were purchased and registered to the Board of Trade in November of 1967 with delivery in 1968. These would eventually replace the four calibration Doves, three Princes and one President, currently used for flight inspection operations since the 1950’s.
Source: Paper written by Charles Marchant, page 9
CAFU STAFF
AT 31ST December 1968:
Complement Actual Strength
Staff Exmnrs Staff Exmnrs
146 (29) ... (..)
AIRCRAFT
Total number of Aircraft at CAFU end of 1968 = ..
Proposed Structure of the Air safety Directorate as recommended by the Board of trade and the Edwards committee in 1968.
Diagram: J Fuller
Diagram: J Fuller
One of the HS748s at Woodford nearing final completion in 1968.
My thanks to Richard J Church, via Tom Singfield.
Photo: Courtesy Eddy Harris
1969
WHITE PAPER
A Labour Government, under Harold Wilson, issued a White Paper which criticised licensing procedures and argued for the co-existence of public, mixed and private sectors within the aviation industry. It recommended the establishment of a 'second force' or private company providing a substantial number of scheduled services. A Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) would regulate the whole sector and an Air Registration Board would deal with safety.
VIP FLIGHTS
One of the VIP flights undertaken by CAFU in the HS125 was in May when Capt’s W. (Bill) Wooden and Capt John Oliver flew from Stansted to Heathrow to pick up the Minister for Technology, Mr Anthony Wedgwood Benn. He was flown to Moscow, via Helsinki, not only to refuel but to pick up a Russian courtesy crew member ................................
AUTOLAND DEVELOPMENT
In February 1969, BEA was authorised to operate the HS21 Trident aircraft to mid-Category 2 limits (60-30 Mtrs Decision Height and 600-400Mtrs Runway Visual Range), with full Category 2 clearance, depending on a history of successful operations at the interim limits and improvements to ground facilities at a number of airfields. Initially, only automatic landings were allowed but ......................................
HS748 DELIVERED
The two HS748 aircraft, G-AVXI and VXJ were delivered in July and September. It was only after a great deal of work by CAFU Tels engineers that these two aircraft now became operational. The two HS748 aircraft, G-AVXI and VXJ, were, by the end of the year, flying with the latest calibration equipment available anywhere in the world, capable of operations above 10,000 feet, as well as having the ability to fly auto-coupled approaches; the Smiths SFS6 flight control system gave the HS748 the technical capability of making a coupled approach down to 75, ft. in Category 2 conditions, and down to 50 ft. in fair weather.
Aircraft instruments included Marconi Landing System (ILS) receiving equipment (AD260), specially modified by Marconi for CAFU. This was the same basic equipment as used by the BEA Trident for all-weather landings, but since CAFU had to use the equipment for checking the Instrument Landing Systems which were used by the Trident, it was necessary to take measures to extract greater accuracy from the equipment than that which was needed for the Trident.
The installation also contained a Cosser 555 Field Test set, modified by the manufacturer to CAFU requirements, used as a transfer standard for checking the airborne equipment stability; or it enabled the ILS receivers to be referenced to the Wayne Kerr Precision Calibrator (see Open Day reference) also carried in the aircraft. A Decca Doppler 72 had been fitted, with its associated-computer, developed by the manufacturer for Flight Inspection purposes. The Telecroscope System and associated telemetry equipment were made by Milligan Electronics, and the servo controlled target lamp manufactured by Plessey.
Both aircraft were equipped with a modern Smiths Flight System (SFS6) and Sperry Roll Stabilized CL11 Compass System, eventually cleared by the CAA Air Worthiness Department (AWD) for automatic flight under Category 2 Approach conditions.
When the two HS748’s became operational, which was not before time as the Princes were soon to be grounded ....................., CAFU had an Open Day in October, at which the Press were invited and the Minister of Transport, Mr Fred Mulley, attended.
ICAO
Notably in 1969, ICAO produced DOC 8071 (Manual on Testing of Radio Navigational Aids), the first edition of which was based a great deal upon advice provided by CAFU.
LICENSING
Captain BEE Marshall, who had joined in the late forties, and was instrumental in the setting up of flying tests for the issue of pilot’s licences and oversaw the design and implementation of the angled screens in the Doves, resigned over the issue of the use of visors being used by candidates under test. The Director of flight Crew Licensing................................
FOI STAFF
You may remember that at the end of 1961 the number of Flight Operations Inspectors was 14, but by the end of 1969 the Compliment was 34, and the actual strength was now up to 31. The FOI compliment had increased by 100% since 1961.
CAFU STAFF
AT 31ST December 1969:
Complement Actual Strength
Staff Exmnrs Staff Exmnrs
158 (29) ... (..)
Since 1960 the Examiner Compliment had grown by 45% and the total staff compliment by just over 100%.
One of the Criticisms of Flt Ops and CAFU, recognised by the BOT special review in 1968, had been the insufficient numbers of staff in both departments.
WHITE PAPER
A Labour Government, under Harold Wilson, issued a White Paper which criticised licensing procedures and argued for the co-existence of public, mixed and private sectors within the aviation industry. It recommended the establishment of a 'second force' or private company providing a substantial number of scheduled services. A Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) would regulate the whole sector and an Air Registration Board would deal with safety.
VIP FLIGHTS
One of the VIP flights undertaken by CAFU in the HS125 was in May when Capt’s W. (Bill) Wooden and Capt John Oliver flew from Stansted to Heathrow to pick up the Minister for Technology, Mr Anthony Wedgwood Benn. He was flown to Moscow, via Helsinki, not only to refuel but to pick up a Russian courtesy crew member ................................
AUTOLAND DEVELOPMENT
In February 1969, BEA was authorised to operate the HS21 Trident aircraft to mid-Category 2 limits (60-30 Mtrs Decision Height and 600-400Mtrs Runway Visual Range), with full Category 2 clearance, depending on a history of successful operations at the interim limits and improvements to ground facilities at a number of airfields. Initially, only automatic landings were allowed but ......................................
HS748 DELIVERED
The two HS748 aircraft, G-AVXI and VXJ were delivered in July and September. It was only after a great deal of work by CAFU Tels engineers that these two aircraft now became operational. The two HS748 aircraft, G-AVXI and VXJ, were, by the end of the year, flying with the latest calibration equipment available anywhere in the world, capable of operations above 10,000 feet, as well as having the ability to fly auto-coupled approaches; the Smiths SFS6 flight control system gave the HS748 the technical capability of making a coupled approach down to 75, ft. in Category 2 conditions, and down to 50 ft. in fair weather.
Aircraft instruments included Marconi Landing System (ILS) receiving equipment (AD260), specially modified by Marconi for CAFU. This was the same basic equipment as used by the BEA Trident for all-weather landings, but since CAFU had to use the equipment for checking the Instrument Landing Systems which were used by the Trident, it was necessary to take measures to extract greater accuracy from the equipment than that which was needed for the Trident.
The installation also contained a Cosser 555 Field Test set, modified by the manufacturer to CAFU requirements, used as a transfer standard for checking the airborne equipment stability; or it enabled the ILS receivers to be referenced to the Wayne Kerr Precision Calibrator (see Open Day reference) also carried in the aircraft. A Decca Doppler 72 had been fitted, with its associated-computer, developed by the manufacturer for Flight Inspection purposes. The Telecroscope System and associated telemetry equipment were made by Milligan Electronics, and the servo controlled target lamp manufactured by Plessey.
Both aircraft were equipped with a modern Smiths Flight System (SFS6) and Sperry Roll Stabilized CL11 Compass System, eventually cleared by the CAA Air Worthiness Department (AWD) for automatic flight under Category 2 Approach conditions.
When the two HS748’s became operational, which was not before time as the Princes were soon to be grounded ....................., CAFU had an Open Day in October, at which the Press were invited and the Minister of Transport, Mr Fred Mulley, attended.
ICAO
Notably in 1969, ICAO produced DOC 8071 (Manual on Testing of Radio Navigational Aids), the first edition of which was based a great deal upon advice provided by CAFU.
LICENSING
Captain BEE Marshall, who had joined in the late forties, and was instrumental in the setting up of flying tests for the issue of pilot’s licences and oversaw the design and implementation of the angled screens in the Doves, resigned over the issue of the use of visors being used by candidates under test. The Director of flight Crew Licensing................................
FOI STAFF
You may remember that at the end of 1961 the number of Flight Operations Inspectors was 14, but by the end of 1969 the Compliment was 34, and the actual strength was now up to 31. The FOI compliment had increased by 100% since 1961.
CAFU STAFF
AT 31ST December 1969:
Complement Actual Strength
Staff Exmnrs Staff Exmnrs
158 (29) ... (..)
Since 1960 the Examiner Compliment had grown by 45% and the total staff compliment by just over 100%.
One of the Criticisms of Flt Ops and CAFU, recognised by the BOT special review in 1968, had been the insufficient numbers of staff in both departments.
Bill Gourlay Tels Engineer
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