50 years ago: 30 Mar 1956

Flight 30.3.1956

Russian Arrival

Thursday March 22nd was unique; we awoke knowing that we were to see a Russian jet airliner, which was to bring to England Gen. Ivan Serov, head of the Russian security services. Out at London Airport a cold and blustery day turned to rain; but dampened spirits soared at five minutes after noon when the expected aircraft materialized directly overhead. The graceful machine’s first pass took London Airport squarely on the nose, at about 2,000ft on a westerly heading. The procedure let-down took about ten minutes and the aircraft next appeared lined up on runway 15R. The approach was low and slow, with marked changes of heading to counteract the crosswind. Just as the aircraft passed over the Bath Road the pilot opened up both engines almost to full power; their acceleration was remarkable, and gouts of black smoke streamed from the jet-pipes. The actual touch-down was slow and not particularly nose-up, although the cross-wind caused a considerable amount of drift.

Happy Birthday

On March 26th Swissair celebrated their 25th year of operation. On that day in 1931 two Swiss operators, Balair and Ad Astra, whose origins went back to 1919, joined forces under the name Swissair. The fleet comprised six three-engined Fokker F.VIIBs, two Dornier Merkus, one single-engined Fokker F.VIIA, one Messerschmitt 18B and one Comte AC-4, operated by a flying staff of nine pilots, four radio operators and eight flight engineers.

A. A. in the Air

During the coming Easter week-end the Automobile Association is to make further experiments in air/radio surveillance of its road-patrol service

German Sycamores?

According to “an informed source” quoted in Bonn, the West German Defence Ministry is soon to order eight Bristol helicopters.