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Aviation History
1913
1913 - 0810.PDF
IA IGHT the crew of the latter should succeed in bringing him down by rifle-fire. Everyone who has had any ex perience of active service knows how wildly inaccurate rifle-fire is apt to be when ranges are unknown and men are labouring under excitement and the stress of action. Admitting that under these circumstances the percentage of hits scored on targets which alter their position and range very slowly is small, the difficulties are manifestly increased very greatly when the target is a man in an aeroplane, moving at anything up to, say, 70 miles an hour, even though he may have come low enough to make his own aim fairly accurate. To disable man or machine would require an exceedingly lucky shot. It might be done, but the odd* are on the aviator under such circumstances as would attend the blowing up of such a vessel as the " Tampico," That is not to argue that in the battle of aeroplane versus the warship the same would always be the case. There are many different factors to be taken into account. Fire-discipline is one of the most important, and this we do not imagine to be a quality in which the Mexican seamen excel, and, therefore, an aviator might be justified in taking chances which would be simple suicide if the objective were, say, a British vessel. But these are technical considerations for the military expert to pronounce upon. Whatever the facts may turn out to be, there is a real signifi cance in the report itself. Here we have a categorical statement that for the first time in history a warship has been destroyed by an aeroplane, and in front of its confirmation or denial we see the naval authorities of the world gravely discussing, not its possi bility, which is fairly admitted, but merely the reliability of the news ! And when we think that it is but yesterday that these same authorities scouted the whole possibility of human flight, it makes it all seem very won'- derful. The beautiful 100-guinea Trophy presented to the Royal Aero Club by Sir Thos. Lipton, for a hydroaeroplane race at Cowes, on Wednesday, August 6th. The Trophy has been made by Messrs. Moaley, Flowers and Co, Aviation Agreement between AUGUST 2, 1913. parties to the Note shall have the right to fly above the territories of the two countries. The passengers shall carry with them papers establishing their identity and nationality. In addition, the pilot must be in possession of proof that he is a properly qualified pilot. Each of the Governments shall have the right to impose restrictions on aerial navigation over its territory, and, in particular, to interdict flying over certain districts in the interests of the security of the State. These special restrictions shall be communicated by the one Government to the other concerned. " Military aviators shall not cross the frontiers of either country without the express permission of the Government interested. Pilots of such aircraft shall take every pre caution possible against crossing the frontiers. Should it happen that aircraft are driven by force majeure across the frontier, they shall at once descend, and hospitality shall not be refused. The nearest military authorities will take steps to ascertain that the pilot is a properly authorised Government officer, and • that he has really been driven across the frontier through cir cumstances over which he had no control. As soon as this has been ascertained to be the case the aircraft shall be at once released. During the stay of such aircraft it shall have the character of extra-territonality." This is really a most important agreement, since it sets at rest the question of the right of inter national navigation of the air by private aviators, so far as the two contractingnations are concerned. Up to the moment the right has hardly been questioned, and avi ators have crossed land and sea frontiers more or less on suffer ance, and without knowing their exact rights—if any. Thejagree- ment under review, apart from this important phase, also creates a most valuable precedent for use against the time, now fast ap proaching, when the international law of the air has to be codified. Our Service Aircraft. THE discussion in the Com mons on Wednesday anent the serviceable aircraft of the Army should indeed bring Members of Parliament to their senses, so that they insist upon no longer being fooled by the Government through Col. Seely as a mouth piece. Anything more shameful in the way of political juggling, when the safety of the Empire is at stake, can hardly be conceived. Whatever beneficial measures • . «wi.wruA './^liLliL.tai 11JU13ULC3 Arising out of the recent Luneville incident, in other directions the present Government may claim when a German military airship alighted in France and uCh tenitory> an Identic Note has just Germany £een exchanged between the French and Oerman Governments, constituting an agreement whereby the conditions governing the naviga tion of the air within their resnertive writnripc ,„ , c , ,T„ tneir respective territories are defined. The tenor of this important Note follows:— is (as " All the aircraft belonging to thefprivate citizens of each of the 836 to have brought in, the disclosures resulting from the visit to the various aircraft stations of Mr. Joynson-Hicks and Mr. Sandys should be more than sufficient indictment to over-ride their good work, and end their rule with the ignominy it deserves. In regard to the damning majority of 33, the words of the once popular song, " What do you think of the Irish now ?" may well form a party cry for both Government and Opposition, with varied intonation according to their sides.
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