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Aviation History
1913
1913 - 1290.PDF
JjTjCHT may be left to judge for himself whether or not it is necessary for him to go -so deeply into the detail of things that he must qualify as an aerial pilot. We do not ask our generals to qualify as scientific artillerists, for instance, nor do we accuse them of incompetence or slackness if they are unable to pass the examinations laid down for battery commanders. Nor do all our admirals possess the practical knowledge of an engineer- commander. On public grounds it is as well that our responsible Ministers should not take undue risks, and we concede that, taking all the circumstances into account, it will perhaps be as well if the heads of the fighting Services, now that they have both tasted of the joys of flying, and may be said to have quite a fair personal knowledge of aircraft and their control, should remain on terra firma for the future. Then there can be no talk of risk, and everyone will be pleased. Sign-Posting Aerial Highways. The Kite and Model Aeroplane Association. In view of the difficulty which air pilots must have in recognising the vicinity of " prohibited" areas, our French contem porary, I.e Temps, has been discussing the possibility of sign-posting aerial highways. According to this journal, the French military authorities have under consideration a scheme for the erection of signs, visible at a distance of two and a half miles from a height of three thousand feet, marking the route from Paris to Nancy, on the German frontier, in the hope that the Germans will follow the example on their part of the Paris-Berlin route. The idea is an excellent one, and is, moreover, one that sooner or later will have to be adopted, not only for the indication of " prohibited " areas, but in order that travelling airmen may be able to find their way from point to point without difficulty. In this country it sounds like a far cry from where we are to the marking out of aerial highways, but it must be borne in mind that it is not yet ten years since it iseemed that flying at all was even farther off. The march of development is so rapid in modern times that we literally do not know what to-morrow is likely to bring forth. No doubt in the days to come, the main routes of the air will be staked out with the same elaboration as are the national highways of France, and the wandering airman of the future will be able to fix his whereabouts with the same facility that is enjoyed by the motorist of to-day. Moreover, the suggestion of airways is no new idea, as the readers of FLIGHT are well aware. PHILIPPE PILOT ALTHOUGH since July last, when he joined the Grahame- White Aviation Co. at Hendon, Philippe Marty has been recognised, by his masterly handling of the Morane- Saulnier machine, as a very fine monoplane pilot, it may be recalled that it was on the Caudron biplane that he " won his spurs." After several years at college, where he took a course in mechanical engineering, Marty, in DECEMBER 6, 1913. In our correspondence columns will be found a letter from the Chairman of the Research Committee of the Kite and Model Aeroplane Association, setting forth the necessity for making the Association a rather more scientific body than it has hitherto been. We agree entirely with the views expressed by Dr. Thurston in the letter in question. No doubt in ten years' time we shall smile at what will be regarded as the crude knowledge of to-day, for there is still a long road to be travelled before we can reach a stage of even comparative perfection of the aeroplane. That means that there is much research and inventive work to be done, and it is to the younger generation of those interested in flight that we look to carry out that work. We have always held the view that the best introduction the younger member of the flying community can have to the movement is through the model section. By his association with this side of it, he learns much of the scientific factors which enter into the problem of dynamic flight; by asso ciation with those equally keen he is given opportunity for useful discussion, which is good for himself and those with him ; and he necessarily learns much that will stand him in good stead when he comes to tackle the larger problems of actual flight. It follows that the more scientific this preliminary training can be made, the more thorough will this early education be, and the better equipped will be the individual for his future work. It is an aspect of the art which parents should lay well to heart. The scheme outlined for the establishing of research laboratories is approved by Sir Hiram Maxim, to whom Dr. Thurston's letter was submitted. In a communication to the Hon. Secretary of the Association, Sir Hiram says :— " It would certainly be advantageous to have some kind of a laboratory where experiments could be made and practical knowledge obtained. We are at the beginning of a totally new epoch in the history of the world. Flying machines are bound to work a complete revolution in the affairs of nations with each other. They cannot fail to do much to prevent warfare between the great Powers of the world, and I wish the new enterprise every success." Whether we agree with Sir Hiram's views on the aero plane as a preventative of war or not, we join with him in wishing success to the new venture. June, 1911, within two months of attaining the age of eighteen, went to the Caudron works, determined to learn the aeroplane business thoroughly. To this end he spent some months in gaining practical knowledge as to the con struction of the machines, and then went on to give his attention to the fitting and tuning up of motors, &c. In February of last year he commenced his apprentissagc de pilote, and in a month was the proud possessor of Ae.C.F. brevet No. 816. Soon after this he gave ex hibition flights on the Caudron in various parts of France, and over here at Edinburgh and Hendon, while he had some experience with the Caudron hydro-aeroplane at Boulogne. In April of this year he beat the French height records for pilot and three and four passengers, and flew from Paris to London, during which, on being brought down at Canterbury by a refractory motor, he was arrested by the police, but without serious consequences. In the following month he put up two very fine flights for the Coupe Pommery, in one going 600 kiloms., while the second trip, from Crotoy, was brought to a conclusion by a broken propeller at Dusseldorf, after flying 450 kiloms. He also made several cross-country trips in France on the Caudren monoplane, including one from Paris to Crotoy, and another from Crotoy to Rouen, these flights being to qualify for a superior brevet. His work at Hendon during the past few months is, we are sure, too fresh in the minds of our readers to need repetition here. "THE HAWK." 1316
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