The Comm. Flight Feb/March '45
The first two days of February Geoff spent in further “getting to know” the Expediter - circuits, S E flying, & overshoot procedure. The 7th he was back in Argus 806 taking a Sqn/Ldr Gibb from Palam to Riapur via Allahabad and Bisalpur. The 8th he flew him from Riapur to Jharsuguda, then they headed for Allahabad, but twenty mins. out the engine began to fail and they returned to Jharsuguda for rectification. After a 30 minute air test, Geoff was able to complete the journey to Allahabad with Sqn/Ldr Gibb. He returned to Palam the following day with no pax.
Feb. 13/14 more air tests in Expediter 476, and then on the 15th he flies a civilian (Mr Baillie) in an Indian registered Proctor, VT-A5B, from Palam to Jodhpur, and returns the same day as 2nd pilot in Dakota 536. Feb 16 he gives their Harvard (546) an air test, and next day Expediter 244 is given a 45 minute air test as well. He was to use this particular A/C on a three day trip to the south which went as follows:
24th Feb. Palam – Bhopal – Poona nightstop.
25th Feb. Poona – Yellahanka – Arkonam – St. Thomas' Mount nightstop.
26th Feb. St. Thomas' Mount – Hakimpet – Nagpur – Gwalior – Palam.
Again in the same Expediter 244, on 28th Feb. he flies a Wg/Cdr Chalmers from Palam to Dum-Dum with stops at Allahabad and Bikram en route
Summary for February 1945. Expediter 25.30 Dakota 2.00 Harvard 0.30 Proctor 2.15 Argus 17.30
March 1st he continues to fly Wg/Cdr Chalmers, Dum-Dum – Comilla nightstop.
March 2 a short hop (0.45) to Lalaghat nightstop.
March 3 Geoff returns to Dum-Dum without pax.
March 5 he flies a Sqn/Ldr Firth as follows:
Dum-Dum – Cox's Bazaar 1.30
Cox's Bazaar – Akyab – Ramree Isl. 1.05
Ramree Isl. - Akyab – Cox's Bazaar 1.30
Cox's Bazaar – Dum-Dum 1.30
March 6th he returns to Palam via Gaya and Allahabad.
The rest of March consists of air tests and “milk runs” with only two new destinations, Maharajpur and Ahmadabad
Summary for March 1945. Expediter 29.10 Harvard 2.45 Proctor 0.45 Argus 2.30
Ian BB