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342  VOL. 66 JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL AERONAUTICAL SOCIETY  JUNE 1962

contractual responsibilities than have ever before been undertaken in the air transport industry.

Nonetheless, it is self-evident that a still further effort is necessary, and we are therefore much gratified to find that many persons charged with the responsibility for procuring helicopters for military use in the United States of America (where, in today's economy, government financing of developmental projects is quite normal) would establish a requirement that all military transport aircraft be fully certificated by the Federal Aviation Agency for unrestricted civilian use before delivery to the armed forces. In addition, the manufacturers' interest in commercial sales would be actively and positively stimulated. This latter point cannot be overlooked because, from a business standpoint, military orders are of such preponderance financially (as well as numerically), that the possibility for commercial orders might otherwise be ignored. If the military should adopt a position implementing these thoughts (and we can think of no valid reason against it), recent history clearly demonstrates the value of the tangible benefits that would accrue to the military itself, as well as to the travelling public. In this manner, improved equipment would come into production on a greatly expedited basis.

It is with this background that we have addressed ourselves to a discussion of the evolution of the helicopter as a scheduled commercial common carrier on the routes of New York Airways. (There is no question as to the utility of this vehicle as a contract tool, or in various military endeavors.)

Our company is in the business of flying passengers, mail and property on schedule with minimum dependence on ground transport, directly between various points of origin and destination, regardless of whether these points are congested urban centers, surrounding communities or outlying airports.  Although we are currently employing helicopters, we do not consider ourselves bound irrevocably to one particular type of vehicle. We are interested in any aircraft having moderate speed combined with the ability to land and take off vertically.

This is a highly specialized service which is, in many important respects, entirely different from the airport-to-airport business of the fixed-wing carriers. Even so, one of our business targets has been to operate in close co-ordination with the other branches of the air transport industry. Thus, at the present moment, we have joint fare arrangements with 25 fixed-wing carrier serving the New York area.

Throughout our brief history, New York Airways management has endeavored to hasten the time when service could be conducted without reliance upon subsidy. We are convinced that subsidy, as a long term institution, is wrong and unsound. It is, in reality, nor more nor less than an awkward interim crutch——essential initially and for the time being, but rapidly becoming a dangerous habit if relied upon as a permanent fixture. However, when it is used (as currently in the case of the helicopter transport industry in the United States), for experimental purposed related to the development of improved equipment and a needed new mode of transport, it is vital.

The three certified operations in the United States (Los Angeles, Chicago and New York Airways), in addition to carrying passengers, cargo and mail, have served, since the beginning their histories, as practical laboratories for the equipment designers and manufacturers and have provided invaluable aid to the various branches of the armed services in accelerating the inevitable "debugging" process and in providing ways and means for reducing logistical requirements. These three operations are also subject to call in case of an emergency or local catastrophe. As recently as March 1962, New York Airways' fleet was involved in several days of rescue and rehabilitation work following a series of very bad storms in our area.

With the present single engine equipment, we could not continue in existence without subsidy. However, we are confident that, with patience and understanding, and with the modern twin-turbine helicopters, we can build to a point where it will be possible to dispense with this sort of financial support. The object has not yet been attained, but it is in sight.

Inauguration of service with the Boeing V-107 can mean that our company is at last leaving the adolescent stage and approaching maturity. In fact, if the equipment and the traffic developing the way we believe they will, the scheduled helicopter transport industry as a whole will be found to have come of age in the very near future.

It is therefore pertinent to note that, in addition to the major technical advances that are evident in the upcoming turbine helicopter generation, it is in the basic cost-revenue relationship that the new equipment will effect the most impressive break-

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FIGURE 1. The Boeing V-107

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