Getting Fris)ute Plurles Airhorrle

HE increasing popularity of private aircraft in foreign countries has encouraged hopes that Britain might secure a greater share in the export markets for such planes' tr', it',. United States there are about 70'000 private aircraft. Some are quite large' They include privately-owned airliners'

In Britain, private flying is static' or' in some ,erp..ts, deciining. But it is flourishing in Fran"e. During a trip this autumn in my Proctor to Cannes and Geneva' I saw only one other British private plane' a Miles Messenger at Lyons.

Ai tn. various airfields t visited' there were pt.nty of French light planes' and some Ameriiu, tn., with French registration markings. Aboutzssmallaircraftwereparkedonthe Customs airport at Cannes' This year' for the fi.rst time' there was no room for the Proctor in the hangars.

ManY Restrictions Iil, J;:',,[,'J: J,il'". 3;' f''i' ?:[T''-#l

The number of French private pilots has increased from 8.699 in 1955 to about 10'000 to-daY.

griiist private aircraft numbered 867 in Septembe.. fht total was made up of 496 business and private planes ' 322 in clubs and groups, ana ig in training schools' The total iu-U.i of private planes in France is now about 3,000.

AirfieldsinFrance,opentosmallcivilplanes, number 302. In Britain there are 102 civit airflelds theoretically available for light aircraft' but there are many restrictions on their use'

Some are owned by aircraft manufacturers or other firms. Prior permission to use them is usually necessary--and not always given' Others' including Gatwick, Surrey, wilt not accept small civil planes unequipped rvith radio'

A radio set for a light aircraft costs about L250 to f350. When you have it, you are not much better off. An instrument rating' a set of expensive blind-flying instruments, and some form of approach. and landing aid, are still required U.for. one can fly under the direction of ground controllers in really bad weather' lt costs about f36.000. An additional f'10'000 is required to provide it with radio and full equipment for bad weather flying' These charges are small, compared with the costs of jet-powered aircraft, carrying about th'e same numbers of passengers. which are now being produced in. America for business flying'

The larger types of planes, suitable for use by business executives, are expensive' Over 500 twin-engined de Haviland Doves have been sold' The Dove. as an executive aitctaft' can accommodate five or six passengers, and' as a miniature airliner. eight to 1 1.

What is needed is a modern single-engined British aircraft which sells at f 10,000 or thereabouts.

In recent years' the only British firm designing small single-engined civil planes and selling them in appreciable numbers. was Auster Aircraflt. lt is now a subsidiary of the Pressed Steel CompanY

There are about 23 United States companles producing light planes, nine in France' five in ituly, and seven in Western Germany' Some of the American. companies have had long experience in this business. One of the largest' the

P/)pulttr Ft.vint:. Mtrrh-April. 1961 ' lf British manufacturers want to export reasonable numbers of light aircrafi, they must. do more than dream about a new golden age for private flying. There will be considerable difficulty in promoting sales of srnall British planes abroad.

Cessna Aircraft Company of Wichita, Kansas, was incorpoarted in 1927 and has produced more than 35,000 aircraflt.

The first essential is to create an adequate British home market. Without this, British flrms will lack the experience required to compete with foreign manufacturers.

Unfortunately, British aviation authorities have been more active in restricting, than in encouraging, private flying. This tendency is particularly obvious in their attitude towards small airf,elds.

The British approach to this problem seems to be that a licensed State-owned airfield must have an ambulance, fire-tender, charge-hands and policemen, traffic controllers constantly on duty, telecomrnunications, and, perhaps, a meteorological station and some form of approach aid. Thus, the upkeep of even small airfields becomes expensive. The British authorities then say that they are a nuisance, too costly considering the traffic they handle, and must be closed down.

That is what happened to Croydon. with the result that London is one of the very few European capitals without a Customs airport for small aircraft in its immediate vicinity. The same fate would have overtaken the Customs airport at Lympne, near Folkestone, if it had not been taken over by an independent airline which still allows it to be used by light aircraft.

Cutting the Costs

A LARGE number of the small French -fLstate-owned airfields are run by one gardien who seems able to complete with all the necessary work, including refuelling aircraft. The British authorities should modify their ideas about the minimum facilities required at airhelds used by small planes.

Some airspace must be provided for private aircraft. Britain is covered with a network of airways corridors reserved for aircrafl flying under the directions of ground controllers. These airways extend upwards to 25,000ft. and downwards usually to not lower than 2,500f1., except in the London area (1,5001t.) and at Manchester (1,000ft.). But they descend to ground level near airports.

As a first step towards providing more airspace fbr private flying, airliners and other transport aircraft could be made to fly above 3,000ft., except within a specifled radius of their terminal airports. This would reduce the noise from large modern airliners heard by people on the ground.

British manufactu.rers of light planes, in co, operation with the Air Registration Board, must find means of reducing the great expense of inspections for airworthiness certificates, now mainly due to labour costs.

They involve excessive dismantling, to see that everything is all right "inside." This is a costly business and has some hazards. In the process of reassembly, mechanical faults, which did not exist before, can be, and sometimes are, created. More up-to-date methods of inspection could prevent this and would be cheaper.

Private flying, like private motoring, has become more difficult, mainly because of the density of other traffic and the need for extreme caution. lt is also getting increasingly expensive.

There are navigational ai<trs which were unavailable a f-ew years ago. But they are costly and considerable experience is required to use them properly. Further, there is a definite limit to the weight of ancillary equipment that can be carried, besides passengers and luggage, in small planes.

It is possible that aircraft able to take off and land vertically, and almost fool-proof to operate, will eventually be produced. But there are few signs of reasonably-priced vehicles of this kind being available for private flying in the forseeable future.