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Aviation History
1914
1914 - 0002.PDF
l/ycED instrument that is defective in this respect, we shall be lad to receive the opinions or the experiences of aviators nd others on this matter. a * -a- +> According to the Evening Standard, a Smuggling Bill is to be introduced into Parliament Aeroplane, during the coming session to deal compre hensively with the questions of smuggling by aeroplane, and of free aerial navigation in these islands. There are many reflections that may be inspired by this announcement, assuming it to have a solid basis of fact for its foundation. First and foremost, it brings home very forcibly to the mind the enormous progress in flight that is implied by such action by a responsible government. When we remember that it is only about five years ago since the first flights were made by man, and that now the science has made such strides as to have made the Governments of the world anxious about their customs frontiers, it seems almost too much to be believed by men in their sober senses. And yet the evidences are all there in the shape ' of cross-country flights of many hundreds of miles, flights that have brought home to every intelligent observer the con viction that frontiers have ceased to exist, except as merely geographical expressions. Next there comes the impression that, as we have so often observed in these columns, flight has become so absolutely a commonplace that no one dreams of even attempting to controvert any proposition, however wild it might have appeared a year or two ago. It is simply accepted just as the record of a train journey would be. Let us quote from the Evening Standard's article. It says : " It is no secret that the Excise authorities have been perturbed for months past over the impossibility under existing conditions of framing any Customs regulations which would effectually control the movements of aircraft. Officially Great Britain is surrounded with a non-existent fence open to aircraft through certain small and equally non-existent gates on difficult portions of the coast. Prac tically there is nothing whatever to prevent any aviator from crossing the Channel and bringing back a quantity of dutiable material, which he could drop, if necessary, by means of a parachute or without it, in some prearranged spot." There is a simple statement of the facts, without any argument for or against the proposition that it is possible to conduct a smuggling service by way of the air—simply an acceptance of the fact and nothing more. To us it seems all very wonderful and very eloquent of the. progress that has been made in the past four years. If the suggestion goes any further, we may express the hope that any legislative action that may be taken will stop short of anything that may be calculated to retard the proper development of the movement. It is absolutely essential that development should be as free as possible, and that ® ® PIERRE CH THERE is no lack of romance connected with the career of Chanteloup, the young French pilot, who has become famous on account of his marvellous exploits on the Caudron biplane—looping the loop, tail diving, &c. He was born at Beaune twenty-four years ago, and his first occupation was that of farm labourer, but his bent was towards mechanics, and in 1909 he passed his tests for driving a taxicab, at which occupation he remained, for two years at Nantes. He then, having saved up the necessary tuition fees, underwent a course at the Caudron School, at Crotoy, and obtained his ticket in July, 1911. Later in the same year he commenced his military JANUARY 3, 1914- it should not be hampered by unduly repressive legislation, although it is quite conceivable that it may be deemed necessary presently for. something of the sort to limit the enterprise of those who may be tempted to enter upon illegal enterprises. As to how this is to be done is another matter. The Evening Standard suggests that it may be possible to establish a service of aerial police. That, we think, is going rather beyond the possibilities of the present, whatever may be the case in the future. In this connection we are content to leave things to the authorities themselves, always with the proviso that nothing be done to hamper the proper development of flight as a science. «•>«•«» The jf^t tne Deginning of another year we feel Hendon we should be doing something rather less Aerodrome than justice to the Hendon Aerodrome and its did we not make some reference to the work it has done in the cause of advance ment during 1913. Its meetings have become one of the most popular spectacles in London, and therein it has been enabled to accomplish much good work for the movement at large. As we have so often pointed out in these columns, it depends altogether on the man in the street whether or not the authorities rise to the needs of the situation in so far as concerns our position in matters affecting aerial defence. Without some such institution as the Hendon Aerodrome, it would be impossible to bring home to that individual exactly what the poten tialities of flight are and are likely to be. Through its medium many hundreds of thousands of the populace have been given, during the year, an excellent opportunity of seeing at first hand to what perfection the science of dynamic flight has attained, and, collaterally, what a tremendous bearing it must have on the defence problems of the future. Its educative value, there fore, has been enormous—so great, in fact, that we may justifiably apply the term of a truly national institu tion to it. To our way of thinking, it is only a pity that there are not many more such enterprises in full work in other parts of the country. If there were, we feel assured that we should not have to regard the future with the misgiving which all thoughtful people must feel when they contrast our own present position in the air with that of our possible rivals. In saying this we do not wish for a moment to belittle the splendid work that has been done by both Services. But much as they have accomplished during the year, there still remains much to be done, in which institutions like Hendon can bear a great part. It is only to be hoped that the Government will properly back up the efforts which are being put forward by those who have taken up the great cause of aviation. ® ® ANTELOUP. service as sapper-aviator. On September 6th last he purposely looped the loop, or flew upside-down on a Caudron biplane, and for his pains received 15 days' imprisonment, by order of the military authorities, for dangerous flying. As soon as his period of military service had expired, he returned to the Caudron firm, and since then he has been giving his daring demonstrations under their auspices in various countries. Personally, he is the most unassuming and genial pilot one could wish to meet. He enters his machine smiling, he is smiling when he leaves it, and I firmly believe he is still smiling when he is flying upside-down. THE HAWK. 2
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