AIR TRANSPORT AND THE R.A.F.
SIR,— I have read with considerable interest the article and correspondence on this subject in your columns. My own experience and the fact that I have to fly again shortly. will prejudice my judgement and this has prevented me from writing previously. But the ridiculous string of useless figures (as they gave no information on the considerable number of accidents sustained) supplied by Mr. West has goaded me into action. Furthermore, I shall be flying before this letter can be published.
I entered a transit camp near Naples on October 13th, 1945, to fly home after nearly four. years unbroken service overseas. On about October 18th I was put on the passenger list of a plane. For the next seventeen days the flight was put off for various reasons, mainly the weather. Meteorological reports were published each day, and on about half these reports the only reason for not flying was fog or mist over Glatton airport (near Peterborough), which appeared to be very badly sited. Some flights did take place during my first few days at the camp, and approximately 15 per cent, of the aircraft returned each time (or could not take off at the last moment) through engine trouble. Twenty-four hours were always allowed for maintenance after the flight from England, and I am not including planes found unserviceable then.
Finally, on November 5th, we took off. All our luggage was put on the plane without any further attempt at checking the weight taken eighteen days before. The plane had numerous vents open to the atmo- sphere which should have been plugged, as we were flying at to,000 feet in winter without oxygen or flying kit. (The plane had been waiting at the airport during the whole 17 days.) About ten minutes after starting we ran into a violent thunderstorm over the Mediterranean. Lightning played round the plane and great masses of ice formed on the wings and propeller bosses. Suddenly the plane dropped like a stone (not diving) ; from 15,000 feet to 3,000 feet, and we all thought it was the end.
Over France we received a wireless message diverting us to Newquay -is there was fog over Glatton. After landing we saw one other plane with its centre turret blown away and its wings badly buckled ; this damage occurred on the same trip. Later I heard that one plane on this flight was missing and all its occupants (zo passengers and a crew of 5) must be presumed perished. I feel very strongly about this and so will not draw any inferences from the facts I have given you.—Yours faithfully, PILOT-PASSENGER.
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