Anglo-Swiss links is strengthened

Autor(en): Meier, Mariann

Objekttyp: Article

Zeitschrift: The Swiss observer : the journal of the Federation of Swiss Societies in the UK

Band (Jahr): - (1983)

Heft 1804

PDF erstellt am: 25.09.2021

Persistenter Link: http://doi.org/10.5169/seals-689274

Nutzungsbedingungen Die ETH-Bibliothek ist Anbieterin der digitalisierten Zeitschriften. Sie besitzt keine Urheberrechte an den Inhalten der Zeitschriften. Die Rechte liegen in der Regel bei den Herausgebern. Die auf der Plattform e-periodica veröffentlichten Dokumente stehen für nicht-kommerzielle Zwecke in Lehre und Forschung sowie für die private Nutzung frei zur Verfügung. Einzelne Dateien oder Ausdrucke aus diesem Angebot können zusammen mit diesen Nutzungsbedingungen und den korrekten Herkunftsbezeichnungen weitergegeben werden. Das Veröffentlichen von Bildern in Print- und Online-Publikationen ist nur mit vorheriger Genehmigung der Rechteinhaber erlaubt. Die systematische Speicherung von Teilen des elektronischen Angebots auf anderen Servern bedarf ebenfalls des schriftlichen Einverständnisses der Rechteinhaber.

Haftungsausschluss Alle Angaben erfolgen ohne Gewähr für Vollständigkeit oder Richtigkeit. Es wird keine Haftung übernommen für Schäden durch die Verwendung von Informationen aus diesem Online-Angebot oder durch das Fehlen von Informationen. Dies gilt auch für Inhalte Dritter, die über dieses Angebot zugänglich sind.

Ein Dienst der ETH-Bibliothek ETH Zürich, Rämistrasse 101, 8092 Zürich, Schweiz, www.library.ethz.ch

http://www.e-periodica.ch wiss

THE three major Swiss airports - Zurich, Geneva and Basle - are well known to travellers to and from London. Not so the airfield of the Swiss capital. Beme's attitude to aviation has always been rather conservative, balanced between foresight and prudence. The first balloon ascents of the brothers Montgolfier caught the imagination of the Swiss, and in 1784, 30 unmanned flights took place in Switzerland. Not all were successful. The first one to rise in Berne was a failure and caused much ridicule. The Berne bur- ghers and councillors immediately decreed hot-air balloons illegal. After the decline of the Old Berne, the cartwright and artillery man Samuel Johann Pauli (1766-1820) started on a project

The Key Swiss bank for investment management, current and deposit accounts, currency, travellers cheques and the sale of gold coins. sjlSwiss Bank Corporation Schweizerischer Bankverein iöäwSlSociété de Banque Suisse ^ Società di Banca Svizzera (A company limited by shares, incorporated in Switzerland) City Office West End Branch Representative Office for Scotland 99 GRESHAM STREET, SWISS CENTRE, 66 HANOVER STREET, P.O. Box No. 114, 1 NEW COVENTRY STREET, EDINBURGH EH2 1 HH LONDON EC2P 2BR LONDON W1V 8BR Tel: 031-225 9186/7 Tel: 01-606 4000 Tel: 01-734 0767 Over 190 offices throughout Switzerland. Branches in London, New York, Atlanta, Chicago, San Francisco, Cayman Islands, Hong Kong, Singapore, Tokyo and Bahrain. Subsidiaries, affiliated companies and representatives in Bahrain, Bogotâ, Buenos Aires, Cairo, Calabar, Calgary, Caracas, Curaçao, Edinburgh, Grand Cayman, Guayaquil, Hong Kong, Houston, Johannesburg, Lima, London, Los Angeles, Luxembourg, Madrid, Melbourne, Mexico, Monte Carlo, Montreal, Nassau (Bahamas), New York, Panama, Paris, Rio de Janeiro, Säo Paulo, Singapore, Sydney, Tehran, Toronto and Vancouver. is link is strengthened

annual traffic volume of 15,000 passengers - a great boom for First jet aircraft iands in Berne Berne and its hinterland. The of a dirigible airship which would The initial project was accepted by by the electorate in 1947, and it Story of fly from Berne to London. the local electors in 1928, and the was not until seven years later that Dan-Air The plan did not materialise, following year Alpar was founded. the runway was improved and a but he had success in Paris and Flying from Berne began in control tower erected. A hard Davies and Newman Holdings London where he and his earnest. tarmac was installed in 1959. is a long-established firm of compatriot, Urs Egg, an armourer The federal authorities agreed Agricultural circles were still shipping brokers in the City of in the service of King George III, to a subsidy, provided the airfield opposed. London. The company's two initials Da and N the received a licence from the king in Belpmoos would at all times serve Swissair, after many political gave name to the small 1815 for the sole privilege of the Confederation (diplomats, ups and downs, ran the first independent airline running a passenger airship, officials, control flights, etc). This London flights (flying DC-3s) which registered in May 1953. Its fleet consisted of "Dolphin", to the continent. commitment was undertaken by three times weekly but they were G-AMSV, a Failure was inevitable, and it the town of Berne and is still as short-lived as those run a few solitary twin-engined Dakota took another 130 years before air observed. years later. (DC-3) left over from the thousands connections between Berne and The main use of the airfield was Salvation came when Dan-Air of deservedly famous aircraft London became a reality. for sports aviators, and for obvious took an interest and began regular produced during the war. Its first In 1901, the Swiss Aeroclub reasons there were no profits for scheduled flights from London to flight was a charter from was founded under the motto Alpar. In 1942, a comprehensive Berne in 1972. The 44-seater Southend via Manchester to Shan- "Lighter than Air". Development civil aviation concept was worked Hawker-Siddeley 748 turbo- non Airport, followed by a second of aviation continued. The first out for Switzerland. Utzenstorf propeller planes brought adv- "little" Berlin airlift. The company Berne Aviation Days, October was the first choice for an antages above all to British grew, and from Southend it .8-10 1910, gave a picture of international airport, but in 1945 holidaymakers in spite of the moved to Blackbushe, then in technical achievements. Zurich Kloten was chosen. 2Lhour flight. 1960 to its present home at Taddeoli awarded two first The was Belpmoos project as an Although conditions were dif- Turn Page 20 prizes, one for a flight of up to international airport was rejected ficult, Dan-Air managed an to 600m and one for the longest duration, of 32 min 1 sec. The cup for the longest total flying time of 58 min 17 sec went to Failloubaz. Berne and its Beundenfeld achieved a certain aeronautical importance by the historic alpine, and other, flights by Oscar Bider, and also as the station of the newly formed Swiss Air Force in 1914. Aviation made great strides after the First World War, and by 1925 eight air connections with airports abroad were established. The federal capital, however, had no proper landing ground. A Berne travel office organised flights to Basle in open Caudrons whence - by changing in Paris - a passenger with a small suitcase was able to reach London the same day. A commission in Berne was given leave to study the possibility of an airfield, but years went by before the Belpmoos was ready.

19 Dan-Airs PRO, George Gesman (right), with journalists at Berne Airport be/ore returning to Gatujic/c on the /i'rst commercial jet /light to the Swiss capital

From Page 19 combined under British Aero- space, which launched the BAe Gatwick airport. Its ramifications 146 in July, 1978 as a private were intensified, its fleet in- venture project - a brave decision. creased, and its reputation grew Today, thanks to Dan-Air worldwide. among others, the BAe 146, Today, Dan-Air, a fully Britain's first new jet for 18 years, independent British airline, can brings reliable and quiet jet service landing - smooth, practically on a led by the President of the look back on 30 years of growth. to routes previously flown only by postage stamp! Council, René Baertschi, and his With a fleet of around 50, a staff of propeller aircraft. Economy, Berne Belpmoos is such a predecessor in office, Paul Gfeller. 3,000 and a turnover last year of efficiency and quietness are its lovely airfield, surrounded by tilled During our flying visit, Berne £184 million (net profit £3.2 hallmark. land, meadows and green hills. was at its loveliest. Its newest million) it may be justly proud of its Quite a few journalists and travel four-star hotel, the Hotel Bern in achievements. Red-Letter Day agents were there to greet the the Zeughausgasse, offered us In May this year, Dan-Air "Whispering Jet". We were given a excellent hospitality, and the bears became the first airline in the And so, on May 27, a new era in good reception by the Berne in the famous pit were at their world to operate Britain's newest commercial aviation opened with representatives of Dan-Air and most obliging, dancing and cajol- short-haul jet, the BAe 146. This the arrival at Berne airport of the other officials. ing. aircraft is the result of the skills and world's latest and quietest jet The arrival of the BAe 146 was The return flight for us was in experience of almost a generation airliner on its first revenue-earning certainly most impressive, and the afternoon of the next day. We of designers, aerodynamicists, flight. even the cautious Bernese had to took off in brilliant sunshine, all set engineers and many others at The stubby, four-engined red, admit that the new jet was living for another comfortable flight - a British Aerospace at Hatfield. white and blue BAe 146-100 flew up to its name, "Flüsterjet". repeat performance in every way It was at de Havilland's, makers from Gatwick with passengers and They had not been enthusiastic with comfort, efficient service, of the famous Comet (the first cargo just four days after being about accepting it, but after some smooth flying and a perfect passenger aircraft with jet propul- delivered to Dan-Air from the persuasion they agreed, and there landing back at Gatwick. sion), in 1959 that the idea was manufacturers. is no doubt that Berne will benefit. The difference could not have born for a short-haul airliner Our flight DA852 took off from With a daily service, flying time been more marked. Gatwick, seating some 30 passengers. Gatwick at midday. Apart from the reduced by one hour and double ranking as the fourth busiest The project was not popular, first fare-paying passengers, a the seating capacity of the old airport in the world in terms of for it was the era of the turboprop number of journalists went on this turboprop plane, it will be a boon international flight traffic, already engines. Yet the idea was dev- historic flight, accompanied by for diplomats and businessmen handles about 11 million passen- eloped, and when the American Dan-Air's PR chief, George making for the capital, but above gers a year and will soon increase Avco Lycoming ALF 502 came on Yeaman. It was a most comfor- all for British tourists en route for its capacity to 25 million. the market progress was swift. table trip on this 88-seater, the Bemese Oberland. Berne, quiet and unhurried The 146 (HS146) was laun- one-class plane, with its seats There will be coach services to and peaceful, has cows grazing ched in August 1973 but the fuel arranged twice three abreast. Spiez, Thun and Interlaken along the side of the runway and a crisis brought new problems of We were well looked after by a stations. few little sports planes taking off or cost and more doubts. Yet it was friendly and attentive cabin crew. Soon after the first flight, landing on the grass. clear that the world needed A tasty cold lunch and free drinks Dan-Air offered an opportunity of The two have grown closer, short-haul jet airliners. were served, and soon we were trying out the new aircraft and of thanks to Dan-Air and its new BAe In 1977 all British aviation cruising at 29,000 ft. In lj hours visiting British Aerospace to a 146. Ad multos annos! works were nationalised and we were ready to land, and what a 14-strong delegation from Berne, Mariann Meier

20