 |
Al-Ahram Weekly On-line 16 - 22 November 2000 Issue No.508 
| ||
Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875 |
| ||
|
Al-Ahram Weekly On-line 16 - 22 November 2000 Issue No.508
| ||
| Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875 |
| ||
Egypt Region International Economy Opinion Culture Focus Travel Living Sports Profile People Time Out Chronicles Cartoons Letters Al-Ahram:
A Diwan of contemporary life (364)
Like people everywhere, Egyptians were fascinated with airplanes from the moment they set eyes on them. Soon to dramatically change the concepts and constraints of time and space, the aerial machines were of particular importance to the British-Egyptian colonial connection and later, Egypt's own attempts to break into this brave new world up above. Al-Ahram reported on the buzz in the skies while Dr Yunan Labib Rizk *followed the relationship Egyptians had with the wings of man
Plane talk
Twice in the second decade of the 20th century did Egyptians peer skyward to behold that wondrous new invention that could soar like a bird. The first time was on 7 December 1913 when news spread through Cairo that a French pilot had flown all the way from Paris and was about to land in a sports field south of Heliopolis Hotel. Al-Ahram reported, "A large crowd rushed to the site and cheered jubilantly as the plane landed. Young boys and men rushed to the plane from all directions. The pilot quickly changed his clothes and began writing letters to his family and loved ones."
Illustration: Makram Henain
On the second occasion, three years later, the circumstances and the mood were radically different. At precisely 12.00 noon on Monday, 13 November 1916, a German fighter plane swept over Cairo, dropping nine bombs over residential districts and business areas. "One of the bombs fell on a building containing a broken down coffee mill and the damage, therefore, is negligible. The other eight bombs, however, fell on the streets, killing 14, among whom were four Europeans, and wounding 25, among whom were four more Europeans. Among those killed were three women, two of whom were European, and one British soldier."
For several years thereafter, Egyptians lost their interest in the amazing flying machine. Then, once again under totally different circumstances, it was revived when, on 3 May 1921, Al-Ahram announced that the British air force in Egypt would stage "an exciting aeronautics competition featuring airplane races and aerobatics." An added crowd magnet was that spectators would be able to take a ride in the airplanes "at prices ranging from LE2 to LE5."
One of those with daring and a spirit of adventure described his experience to Al-Ahram. "The airplane quickly picked up speed and before you knew it we were airborne. I was flying through the air and climbing upward. The people I left behind on the ground were growing smaller and smaller until they disappeared from view. I felt as though there was no-one left in the world but my companion and I, hovering as we were, above the planet. Within moments, Heliopolis disappeared and I found myself above another part of the city. How great and beautiful is our capital when viewed from up high. Boats on the Nile seemed like children's toys and the desert stretched out to the left and right. A few minutes later the Pyramids came into view just below us, the works of the Pharaohs seemingly insignificant when one considers the accomplishments of mankind today."
There was another dimension to the new aeronautic ventures, one associated with the colonial visions of European powers in which, for Britain in particular, Egypt figured prominently. Cecil Rhodes embodied the dream of late Victorian advocates of colonial expansionism to create a continuous swath of British possessions in Africa extending from the Cape to Cairo. Work on a railroad connecting these two poles had begun before the end of the 19th century, and it was only natural that descendants several decades on would seek to forge a similar pathway in the air.
On 18 April 1921, under the headline, "Flying from the Cape to Cairo," Al-Ahram announced that the British Aeronautics Council would allocate £25,000 to establish the dreamed of air route and that it had already obtained twice this amount from the government of Rhodesia. Two months later, the newspaper reported that Imperial Airways had purchased an airfield in Malta and had simultaneously concluded an agreement with the government of Sudan "for the maintenance of the airfield on the route from the Cape to Cairo." In view of the fact that airplanes at the time could only fly relatively short distances, numerous air strips and ground facilities were needed along the route. Egypt, moreover, by virtue of its geographical location and climate, figured prominently in this British project, having been selected to serve as "the central aeronautics depot in the Orient," as a statement issued by a House of Commons official put it.
In several news items in Al-Ahram over the course of 1924 and 1925 we can see this policy going into effect. In November 1924, British Air Force Commander Marshall Brankar travelled to India via Egypt, where he stopped to inspect aircraft hangars in Cairo, "rendering the Egyptian capital an important hub of air communications." Under the headline, "Flying between Egypt and India," the newspaper reports that the British Aeronautics Ministry and Imperial Airways Company signed an agreement to establish an air route from Al-Qantara to Karachi. British air force officials in Egypt announced they would offer all possible means of support to the new venture. Finally, another news item, entitled "Flying from Helwan to Nigeria," said preparations were being made for three aircraft to fly from the famous spa centre south of Cairo to Kano.
France and Italy had a somewhat different approach towards Egypt's place in the world of aeronautics. For them, Egypt was not so much a transit point as an important destination in its own right in trans-Mediterranean communications, a major locus in European relations with the Orient. In this context, we can understand the French boast, as it was related in Al-Ahram of 5 March 1919, that aeronautics experts in Paris had made significant modifications in airplane routes, succeeding in cutting down the flight time from Paris to Cairo to only 11 hours.
For the Italians, with one of the largest expatriate communities in Egypt, faster and more convenient transport links were vital. Thus, in the spring of 1922, Al-Ahram announced that a passenger service had begun between Brindisi and Alexandria. "Large seaplanes capable of transporting five passengers were to make the journey, which takes 10 hours, or slightly more, excluding stopovers." Al-Ahram offered another explanation for Rome's keenness to support this airline venture. "After taking Tripoli and regaining Trieste, Italy has ceased its political colonial expansion in the east and has turned its attention to expanding its economic interests in Oriental countries. Of all the European nations, the Italians are the most eager to develop commercial links with Egypt, which is why now, before the capitulations system is lifted, they want to establish an air transport line between Alexandria and Italy via Greece."
Meanwhile, in Egypt, the attitude towards the commercial prospects of the new mode of transportation were ambivalent. On 1 August 1922 Al-Ahram commented, "It is odd that we should turn our attention to airline transport when we are still lacking in ground and maritime transport. A single Egyptian oceanliner would be far more valuable than taking out shares in 1,000 Italian airplanes, particularly as there is not a single Egyptian airplane pilot. An entrepreneur in Beirut purchased a ship that he now operates between Egypt and Syria. This venture brings to the ship's owner and to his country untold benefits that would not have been available otherwise. Why should we not be similarly moved in Egypt to establish a shipping line of our own."
The march of progress, however, was not to be thwarted. In that very year the first airmail service began in Egypt with, according to the announcement in Al-Ahram, a postal plane flying from Alexandria to Baghdad, via Cairo and Port Said. "Air postage costs 25 milliemes per 20 grammes or fractions thereof."
At the same time, other Middle Eastern countries were entering the age of aeronautics. Under the headline "The art of flying in Turkey," Al-Ahram reports that following the war, Ankara sent 10 officers to Europe to be trained as pilots and, simultaneously, invited several French pilots to Izmir for the same purpose. The newspaper commented, "Without a doubt, Istanbul will become the region's greatest air hub, in which we will soon see the largest network of airlines linking east with west."
The rapid pace of such developments naturally prompted Egyptian authorities to take urgent measures to keep up with the new technology. It was not long after this that Egyptian Minister of Transportation Mustafa El-Nahhas instructed the Egyptian consul in Paris to contact the relevant aviation authorities in Paris. Evidently, the consul, Murad Kamel, was equally inspired by the idea of bringing Egypt into the aviation age for he made arrangements to take a flight over Paris with one of the best-known French pilots of the time who, in the course of the expedition, expressed his willingness to give flying lessons to Egyptian candidates.
By 1925, Egypt had its own aviation experts, evidenced by the Al-Ahram announcement that Ahmed Abdel-Salam El-Kirdani, the first Egyptian to obtain a degree in this specialisation in Britain, would present a series of lectures on the subject. "Clearly, the Egyptian public has realised that the future is in aviation and we, therefore, expect these lectures to be heavily attended," the newspaper predicted. The prediction proved correct for the first of these lectures, held at the American University on 23 February of that year, was attended by "a large audience of current and former ministers, senior officials, teachers, women and foreigners."
El-Kirdani's first lecture was on dirigibles. Their various parts and machinery were explained in detail by way of demonstrating the mechanisms by which these dirigibles took off, landed and were manoeuvred.
His second lecture, on the history of aviation, drew an equally large and enthusiastic audience. Following a brief overview of the history of flying before World War I, El-Kirdani said the war had intensified competition between the warring parties to build faster, more powerful planes. By the end of the war, he said, "the speed of planes exceeded 150 miles an hour and they could reach altitudes of 22,000 feet. In addition, there were important modifications to the interior of the aircraft and to its engines, all of which gave it greater stability in storms and other severe weather conditions."
A portion of this lecture was devoted to the specifics of airport design. Because planes needed a long runway in order to reach the required speed for takeoff, airport facilities, including runways, had to be constructed on no less than one square kilometre of land. In addition to what he considered a vast surface area, the land on which runways were constructed had to be level and dry but not cracked, while airports had to be located within reach of public transportation and be fitted with "telegraph and wireless facilities in order to receive reports on flights and weather conditions, include hangars for the maintenance of aircraft and the machinery for producing hydrogen."
El-Kirdani delivered the last of his lectures on 19 March 1925, this on an international competition to introduce improvements in airplane design. While the Europeans had focused primarily on the needs of military aircraft, the United States, he said, had taken the lead in "drawing up the best design for commercial airplanes in view of the vastness of that country." In order to cut down on landing and refuelling, he told his audience, the Americans had "made it possible for an airplane to be refuelled in the air by means of a petroleum hose that can be brought down from an airplane flying overhead at the same speed and attached to the fuel tank of the aircraft in flight."
He said that because of progress in the field of aviation, governments had begun to perceive the need for "laws governing people in the air just like laws governing people on the ground." Indeed, he said, representatives of nations that were in the forefront of aviation had already assembled and drafted an international flying code, one that he believed should be continuously refined "to keep pace with the rapid developments in aviation."
El-Kirdani concluded his lecture with an appeal to the Egyptian government to introduce aviation and aeronautics into the curricula of the College of Engineering and various technical institutes. Not only was the government quick to respond but it had, in fact, already begun moving in this direction.
In the spring of 1924, the Ministry of Transportation formed a commission to investigate the feasibility of establishing a commercial airline in Egypt. The committee consisted of an official of the ministry and representatives of the Customs Authority, the General Security Agency, the Port Authority, the Telegraph and Communications Authority and the Egyptian Chamber of Commerce. In the autumn of the same year, the government considered creating an aviation authority under the Ministry of War. "This proposal entails purchasing eight airplanes and sending qualified Egyptians to British aviation centres in order to learn everything related to the art of flying."
Although airplanes had flown in and out of Cairo's northern suburb of Heliopolis and the southern spa resort of Helwan for some time, authorities realised they needed to make plans for a proper airport to service a regularly operating Egyptian airline. It was the British military authorities in Egypt who took the lead in this regard. At the beginning of 1925, Al-Ahram reports that the British had constructed a large airport tower in Ismailia. At 100 feet in height and made of steel girders, "it is the tallest of such towers in the world," wrote The Daily Chronicle, adding, "At the top are powerful spotlights that cast their beams far into the surrounding desert, for the tower is located on the outskirts of the city, not in the city itself."
The Manchester Guardian explained why Ismailia, not Cairo, was chosen for the tower. "The future of Egypt until now is obscure. There may or may not come a day when Cairo is made a hub in imperial communications. The Suez Canal, however, should continue to remain under British control. As for the preference of Ismailia over Port Said, it is because the former is out of the range of naval artillery fire."
Some Egyptian newspapers at the time said the construction of the Ismailia airport underscored the strategic importance of Egypt in the new world of aviation. They also suggested British intent to withdraw from Cairo and concentrate on the canal zone.
Al-Ahram was not quite as upbeat. In an editorial on 16 January 1925 it asked whether the British authorities had secured a permit from the Egyptian government for the tower, particularly since "air transport will soon be taking over from sea transport in the conveyance of post and passengers." The article pointed out that every nation had an aviation law except for Egypt, "where it appears that the British can comport themselves in Egyptian airspace as though they owned it outright, just as the airspace of their own country."
Such considerations made it all the more urgent for the Egyptian government to press ahead with the establishment of Egyptian aviation institutions. The proposal that was submitted to King Fouad in early March 1925 called for the creation of an Egyptian civil aviation authority under the Ministry of Transport which would be responsible for air traffic control, airport control and the supervision of everything related to the technical aspects of aviation in the country. Secondly, it called for a military aviation department to be established under the Ministry of War to protect Egyptian borders from enemy air attacks. The establishment of a training school for pilots was the third point, and in this connection the proposal stipulated that instruction would take place in Almaza "on the outskirts of Cairo" and would be given by British pilots brought from England by the Ministry of War," adding that student pilots would "first receive instruction in airplanes equipped for dual steerage and then for single steerage." Finally, on the issue of airports, the proposal stated that airports should be constructed in Almaza in Heliopolis, in Al-Amiriya in the Western Desert and in Al-Qantara on the Suez Canal, as well as in Alexandria and Port Said.
The proposal met with the ardent enthusiasm of Al-Ahram. In its feature, "The Magnificent Project," it expressed hope that it would see fruition within five years. Still, there was some debate over how to prioritise various stages of the project. According to the newspaper, the relevant authorities agreed to begin with the establishment of an aviation department within the Ministry of War, convinced that it was unwise to introduce civil aviation "without the backup of an air force to maintain its safety." Accordingly, the necessary funding was allocated to establish a school of specialists and to found a general air command base of Almaza whose task it would be "to patrol the southern zone with a fleet of aircraft based in Assiut or Qena and to patrol the eastern, western and northern approaches of the country."
Of course, since aviation in Egypt was still in its formative years, it was decided to send missions abroad "to acquire the necessary skills and knowledge." In August 1925, Al-Ahram informed its readers that the Ministry of Transportation had selected the first delegation of civil aviation students -- five graduates from the mechanics department of the College of Engineering and four from the Ministry of War -- who, over a period of three years, would receive instruction in aviation and related sciences and in their final year "would undergo practical technical training and field experience."
Finally, in October of that year, Al-Ahram reports that a group of Egyptian entrepreneurs, headed by Hassan Anis Pasha, initiated steps to establish a company "for the advancement of commercial aviation in Egypt" and that they were in the process of soliciting shareholders. The announcement added that the businessmen had already determined what type of aircraft they wanted -- "planes made entirely of metal, with three propellers and an ability to carry 12 passengers and two tons of cargo." The project marked the true beginning of commercial aviation in Egypt which would come to fruition seven years later, in 1932, with the birth of EgyptAir.
* The author is a professor of history and head of Al-Ahram History Studies Centre.
© Copyright Al-Ahram Weekly. All rights reserved
