London—New York Comet III ‘Paper’ Operation

Extract

In order to obtain some experience of problems that were likely to be encountered in the operation of the Comet III across the North Atlantic, B.O.A.C. decided early in 1954 to conduct a daily ‘paper’ operation between London and New York. The aircraft was planned to depart from London at 1000 G.M.T. each day. It was felt that the production of operational statistics on the basis of a daily operation in this way would enable the Corporation to compile useful information on such vital subjects as elapsed times, payload capacity, fuel uplift requirements, the frequency with which particular routeings were likely to be used and the adequacy of existing meteorological telecommunications and air traffic control services. In order to obtain the basic meteorological data for planning flights it was necessary to enlist the cooperation of the London Airport Meteorological Forecasting Unit and their most helpful cooperation played an important part in the results achieved.