Civil Aviation Radio Advisory Committee: Correspondence and Papers

Minutes and working papers of the Civil Aviation Radio Advisory Committee, of various sub-committees and panels and of the National Civil Aviation Consultative Council.

• Ministry of Aviation, Civil Aviation Radio Advisory Committee, 1959-1960
• Ministry of Civil Aviation, Civil Aviation Radio Advisory Committee, 1945-1953
• Ministry of Transport and Civil Aviation, Civil Aviation Radio Advisory Committee, 1953-1959

Topics

Radio and television

Air transport

The Civil Aviation Radio Advisory Committee (CARAC), was the child of the Air Radio Advisory Committee (ARAC), set up in 1942 by Sir Robert Watson Watt to consider the post-war application in the field of civil aviation of radio equipment developed during the war years, to formulate the civil requirements and to make proposals for the standardisation of radio equipment for use in transport aircraft. In 1945 ARAC, still under the chairmanship of Sir Robert Watson Watt, was taken over by the newly formed Ministry of Civil Aviation. Watson Watt was subsequently appointed Telecommunications Adviser to the Minister. The membership of the Committee at that time was purely departmental.

The terms of reference of the Civil Aviation Radio Advisory Committee were as follows: to advise on the best course of action to be taken by the responsible authorities to ensure that Civil Aviation shall reap the fullest benefit from radio research, development, production and applicationto co-ordinate UK participation in international and Commonwealth conferences dealing with radio for Civil Aviationto guide as appropriate the work of the CERCA Central Office.to report, as necessary, to the Minister of Civil Aviation.Operators PanelTo meet the demand for continuing facilities for discussion of common operational problems between the users, the operators, industry and the Government Departments concerned

At the end of the War Sir Victor Tait who until then had represented the Air Ministry on CARAC, retired from the RAF. In order that the Ministry of Civil Aviation should continue to benefit from his long experience and valuable advice on telecommunication matters, he was invited to serve on the Committee in a personal capacity. Later, when the Airline Corporations and the Radio Communication and Electronic Engineering Association (radio industry) were offered membership of CARAC, he represented the scheduled operators. He ceased to be a member when he retired from BOAC in 1957.

In 1948 the following three sub-committees were formed:

Later in 1948 the Radio Communication and Electronic Engineering Association (RC & EEA) were admitted to membership of CARAC itself. Consequently it was considered that the need for an Industries Panel had largely disappeared and, in 1950, both the Industries Panel and the Research and Development Panel were dissolved. The Operators Panel remained in being but has not met since 1950. In 1947 Air Vice Marshal Sir Conrad Collier succeeded Sir Robert Watson Watt as Chairman of CARAC. In 1948 Air Chief Marshal Sir Frederick Bowhill became Chairman followed in 1950 by Sir Alfred LeMaitre.

The membership of the Committee included the following organisations: