Apropos of the speed "of. the newest RAF. machines, "Major Turner, the "Daily Telegraph's" aviation correspondent, points out that Great Britain might easily regain the world air records for height, speed and distance measured as a straight line which she did hold, but has recently Jost.
Other countries, notably Italy. and the- United States, apparently attach more importance to these records as a means for increasing prestige and, indirectly, "their chances in world markets, Says Major Turner.
The land. aeroplane record over the S-kilometre: course, flown. In. each direction, is held by the United States. With a fight by Mr, H. Hughes, at a Speed. of 362 miles an hour. This record could be taken by two, or possibly three, of the new RAF. Flighter types.
The world aer@lane distance record is held by the Wrench pilots, Rossi and Codos, with a flight of 5,656 miles from New York to Rayak, in Syria.
This record could be taken by one of the new R.A.F. bombers, and that Without very much special adaptation.
In altitude, Sqdrn.-Ldr.
Swain's record of 80,000 beaten by the Italian, Lt.-Col. Mario Pezzi, Chief of the Italian Air Force High Fiving Section, by a fight ta feet.
there is little "doubt that Sqdrn.- Ldr. Swain's altitüde could be beaten by a considerable margin with the air-cooled Bristol engine used by him. A new attempt is already being Prepared and will probably be made by Fit.-It. M. J. Adam. {It will be seen in another column that' Lieut, Adam broke this record.
An interesting form of air freighting enterprise which is peculiar to Canada is the transport of fish from lakes inaccessib(P by surface vehicles. One company alone—United Ai Transport, with headquarters at Edmonton, Alberta—reports the carriage of more than 1,000,000 Ib. of fish during the past winter.
Interesting experiments were also made in the restocking of small lakes One test involved the dropping of 100 speckled trout, in the form of "fingerlings" inches long. The fish were carried in cans, and while the aeroplane flew slowly over the lake they were placed in nets and dropped from a height of approximately 1000 ft. Subsequently, 600 of the fish were recovered.
During. the past seven years air freighting in Canada has grown from a few small isolated operations to become an industry engaging more than 40 operating concerns, serving vast regions in what is commonly called, the "northland" where other ionns of transport are for the most part impracticable and always more expensive. This development has of course brought profound changes to the social and economic ie of frontier areas from Aklavik on the extreme westerly Arctic coast of Canada to the little Magdalen Islands in the Gulf of St. Lawrence.
These freighting operations frequently demand the- highest levels of courage, resource and determination among pilots, engineers and other air transport personnel. Companies continue. operations under weather conditions that may see the thermometer drop to 60 below zero, without the help of any but the most primitive ground organization.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.