50 years ago: 3 October 2006

On Friday last, September 21, the Canadian Government announced that it had approved the sale to Israel of 24 F-86s. Mr. St. Laurent, the Prime Minister, said that after consultation with certain “friendly Governments,” the Canadian government had decided it would not be justified in refusing the request made some time ago by the Israel Government for the purchase of these aircraft. The Canadian Government had been greatly influenced in its decision “by the fact that Israel’s neighbour has received large numbers of jet fighters from the Soviet Union and, even more important, a considerable number of modern jet bombers, of which Israel possesses none. Assurances have been received from Israel that the interceptors in question will be used solely for defence against aggression.”

A court of inquiry is being held into an incident involving injury to several M.P.s last Monday, when a Transport Command Valetta in which they were returning to Northolt after a visit to the 2nd T.A.F. in Germany went into a sudden dive from 6,000ft at a point between Chatham and Maidstone. According to statements by some of the M.P.s after landing, they were flung upward from their seats and struck their heads on the roof.

At the closing session of the international Astronautical Congress, held in Rome from September 18 to 22, Dr. L. R. Shepherd, of the Atomic Energy Research Establishment, Harwell, was elected president of the International Astronautical Federation for the coming year. The outgoing president, Mr. F. C. Durant of the United States, was elected to the vice-presidency. When congress opened, Mr Durant said, “This might be called the space-flight year minus one – or perhaps two.” He described the launching of earth satellites as “only the beginning” and added: “After this will come flights round the moon and before the end of the century we will have man landing on the moon.”

A Lockheed U-2 high-altitude research aircraft disintegrated in mid-air near Kaiserslautern, Germany on September 17. The pilot was killed.For more from Flight of Old visit Flightglobal.com/Archive