Fast and Far
The first Australia-built Canberra landed at Christchurch, New Zealand, last Monday, after flying 3,145 miles from Perth, Western Australia, in 5h 42 min. Its crew - who will fly in the London N.Z Race - flew it back to Australia on the same day - 1,520 miles to Melbourne in 3h 22 min. World records may be claimed.
Believe It or Not
A B-17G which in 1945 was shot down in flames into the Zugersee, near Karlsruhe, has been salvaged and is now a travelling exhibit in Switzerland. All equipment was still aboard, tyres still inflated and petrol in the tanks.
One Form Fewer
On and after August 31st captains of mail-carrying aircraft arriving in the U.K. will no longer have to "solemnly declare that...I have delivered or caused to be delivered to a proper Office of the Post Office every postal package and every mail bag, package or parcel of postal packets that was on board the above mentioned aircraft..." The abolition of this declaration, thus reducing by one the number of documents to be completed by commercial pilots, has been made possible by a new Act of Parliament, following representations by the M.C.A.
Ferrying the Sabres
Some 30 pilots of R.A.F. Transport Command are now engaged in ferrying Canadair-built F-86 Sabres from Montreal to the United Kingdom. The Sabres are flown over in groups of thirty, each divided into six flights of five. The journey is made in four stages: Montreal to Goose Bay, Labrador; Goose Bay to Bluie West, Greenland; Bluie West to Keflavik, Iceland and Keflavik to the U.K.
Three different types of flying clothing are worn during the journey: arctic kit over Labrador, immersion suits for the sea crossings, and normal overalls for final deliveries in the U.K. The immersion suits, though waterproof, are made of a special porous material which allows the suit to "breathe" in the air; immediately on immersion the suit seals itself and becomes buoyant.
Pilots completed survival training before the delivery flights began. For arctic survival practice they had to subsist individually for two days in the wilds, some 80 miles from Quebec, in a temperature of 20 degrees below zero. They were clad in parkas and special boots and for sustenance carried one oatmeal block, two meat blocks, one packet of chicken noodles, cocoa powder, tea and sugar.
Source: Flight International
