مجموعة ٥/١١ "المسار الجوي إلى الهند: طريق الساحل العربي - مهبط الطوارئ في قطر" [و‎‎٣‎٢] (٣٤٥/٦٣)

The general iiiipression I got at the Conference was
that he expected to be aeked to allow our aircraft to land
in his territory, as his reasons against came out pat, and
obviously other influences had been brought to bear on him*
and he was playing for time*
Loch thinks that his attitude was definitely less
strongly against the idea of the landing ground than it was
previously#
After an exceedingly heavy rabic lunch at B a#m.
we started back to Doha, and half way back discovered we tvere
being taken by a different track which missed the landing
ground. Whetner the driver had instructions to do tills is
a matter , of conjecture - we in isted on going back to the
road we came by" md eventually stopped and oxa>nlned the
landing ground site*
The country in general consists of undulating stony
desert, with occasional patches of thorn, but the site in
spected is a long shallow depression in Which water probably
stands after rain* This has produced a mud seepage Which
has hardened, making a very good landing surface of hard
mud, no crust, and will take all types of aircraft*
It is about 600 yards long and 200 to 300 yards wide
in places, with the prevailing wind up and down*
There are a few jackal holes, and care should be
taken to avoid them unless they h«v© been previously filled
in*
The main Doha - Hiy n track runs across the site,
but is not an obstruction.
X am inclined to think that the fact that the
proposed site for a landing ground ia, so to speak, outside
the Shaikh^ own front door, influenced him in his refusal,
and if it were possible to obtain another site further away
he might more r adily agree,
I kept a careful eye for any other likely site, but
saw nothing. As I said, the general nature of the country
is undulating stony desert, and it might be possible to
select a site ner Doha, where labour is available to
clear the stones, but it would be a biggish Job*