Speedbird: Echoes of Yesteryear
The 8 Pillars of Wisdom: Airline Computing and my Role in its Development.
by
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‘DON HILL’ is a name strongly associated globally with probably the world’s favourite airline and more specifi cally with BOAC’s international, bestselling export ‘-the Departure Control System (DCS)’ that he helped develop and manage in London. Born in the Empire days of Protectorates into a colonial army family, in Cairo, 1923, he set out just before his 18th birthday with his brother to join the recently formed BOAC, which was then part of the Merchant Air Service. His fi rst role was the maintenance of the Malakal refuelling and stopover station on the White Nile, three hundred miles south of Khartoum. ‘Empire’ class flying boats would fl y in regularly from Poole Harbour, Southampton en route to India and back again. Did he realise then, that his career was destined to span forty years in service to a major airline? Could he have foreseen the dawn of the jet engine era, let alone the later supersonic developments down the line? Were wide-body jets and ‘high passenger density travel’, with all their inherent problems or the solutions created through the ‘DCS’ of the BOADICEA computer, even a remote possibility? Did he consider that he would meet his future spouse and engage in a fruitful partnership lasting nearly sixty years, (producing 5 children, 12 grandchildren and 4 great grandchildren), travelling to postings in Senegal, Ghana, Sicily and Rome of the ‘fifties’? Each placement, including his activity in N Africa in support of the Allies are the backdrop to many a remarkable historical anecdote. In 1959 he returned permanently to the UK where his career soon flourished. In the 1970s he chose to remain UK based working in the burgeoning field of Computer Technology despite attractive and prestigious overseas offers. After development of the BOADICEA system he eventually became a worldwide ambassador for ‘Departure Control’ before retiring in 1980. After a short break he soon took up the cudgels again to become an independent self- employed Consultant with ‘Amadeus’, British Airways’ Consultancy arm. The SPEEDBIRD of the title refers to the icon of a winged bird in flight (originally an Imperial Airways symbol) under whose aegis most flights flew until recently. It is still the ‘call sign’ for aircraft of this fleet when in dialogue with their Control Towers. Of course it also alludes to Concorde (for obvious reasons) and to Boadicea (in its day one the fastest ‘number crunchers’ in the world).
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About the Book
Spanning over 40 years in service to a major world airline,(25 of which were spent overseas variously in Europe,Northern Africa and the Middle East during the war years), this book describes a wayfarer's journey as the author,the son of a British Army Colonel, grew through the challenges that came his way living in exciting times.In Algiers he was even witness to the birth of De Gaulle's 4th republic as the mob rioted beneath his balcony and, 35 mm cinecamera in hand he coolly recorded history in the making! In Accra he even searched the junglefor a lost Comet 1 engine.On his permanent UK return in 1959 he was just in time to usher in the jet age as he raised his growing familyin the UK but was now ideally placed to contribute to resolving the challenges posed by the increasing passenger numbers.Finding himself at the leading edge of the new computer technologies he was able to make a major contribtionto its development.As part of the Management Services Division that was honoured he was able to wear the specially designed 'Queens Award to Industry' logo for his work on the ground breaking Departure Control System globally connected to the London BOADICEA computer.He was even one of the last to fly Concorde !
About the Author
Donald Edward Hill or “Don”, as he was known in the industry, was born in 1923. He entered Imperial Airways as a trainee in 1941 and after devoting his life to the same employers, retired from British Airways in 1981. He therefore saw at first hand the changes that the airline went through from the early days of the flying boats to today’s jet engine planes. In 1946 whilst being seconded to the RAF and serving in Italy he met and married his late wife, a union which lasted almost 60 years. Subsequently his wife and growing family followed him as his career evolved through postings to various locations before he returned to the UK after 25 years overseas. This growing family became five children, 12 grandchildren and four great grandchildren, so it can truly be said that Don begat his own dynasty! On his return to the UK operations, he entered the Airlines computer side of the Airline operations. He became a front line expert in developing the Departure Control System used, not only by BOAC, the forerunner of British Airways, but also by many other major airlines globally who bought into expertise. The system was tailored specifically for BOAC’s needs and was given an acronym reflecting this: BOADICEA (British Overseas Airways Digital Information Computer for Electronic Automation).When first launched it was at the forefront of technology for its calculating capacity. Like the graceful Concorde of the same period, Boadicea revolutionised air travel indirectly but visibly. Both these names echo a more magisterial past worthy of an image of historical pedigree, linking BOAC with the early Imperial Airways ventures the swift-like cartoon that generations would recognise as the SPEEDBIRD logo… hence this title: Speedbird ,(Echoes of Yesteryear) .