FlightGlobal.com
Home
Premium
Archive
Video
Images
Forum
Atlas
Blogs
Jobs
Shop
RSS
Email Newsletters
You are in:
Home
Aviation History
1914
1914 - 0132.PDF
"-*• A, present d. execu.ive and Marine officer, taj—-* "r."'"?? ^f =*"LS having qualified in flying, may be required to rejoin the Fleet. Thus the flying branch is treated as incidental to he Navy itself, and service in it is temporary. As the Morning Post correspondent points out, the flying service is so highly specialised an occupation that the develop ment of a new system seems probable. Entrance into the flying service is already open to others besides naval officers, and it may be that it will become a separate service while remaining under naval command. We do not know if the Morning Post expert is speak ing by the book, or whether he is merely regarding the thing from the apparently most logical standpoint. If his remarks are prompted by inside knowledge of official intention, then we may say that we are exceedingly pleased to hear it. If, however, the second hypothesis is the correct one, then we agree absolutely that there is an excellent case for the establishment of a separate service, separate, that is, in the way that the Royal Artillery or the Royal Engineers are separate and dis tinct branches of the Army, having their own self-con tained organisation and their own especially trained personnel, but subject at all times to the orders of headquarters. These two are specialist branches, entailing special knowledge and special training for proper effi ciency. No one with any pretensions to knowledge of Service matters would argue for a moment that the gunner officer should be attached to a school of gunnery for a short course of training, and then sent to an infantry battalion for duty to be called upon, possibly, in case of war to do duty with the scientific arm and to find himself hopelessly out of touch with the most recent developments of the branch of the Service. How much more does the specialist argument apply in the case of flying, for which constant practice and con tinuous training are so essential ? Regarding the question from that—which, we submit, is the only—point of view, ® ® SIGNOR ENRICO OUR " Man of the Moment" this week is Signor Enrico Forlanini, the designer and constructor of the dirigible airship bearing his name, and which has found much favour in the eyes of those who are advising the British Government, resulting in the decision to acquire three of this type as a commencement. The formal order for the first of these was placed by the Admiralty through Sir W. G. Armstrong, Whitworth and Co., and the vessel will be constructed by the " Societa Leonardo da Vinci" near Milan. Other airships of the Forlanini type are to be built under licence in England by the Armstrong Co. ® ® Annual Dinner of the Royal Aero Club. THE date arranged for the Annual Dinner of the Royal Aero Club is Friday, the 27th inst., and it will be held at the Royal Automobile Club. The Marquess of Tullibardine, M.V.O., D.S.O., M.P., Chairman of the Club, will preside, and the distinguished guests present will include the Right Hon. Winston S. Churchill, M.P., Fust Lord of the Admiralty. British Entries for the Gordon-Bennett Race, &c. Two entries have already been received by the Royal Aero Club for this year's Gordon-Bennett Race, one being from A. V. Roe and Co., and the other from the Sopwith Aviation Co. The latter firm has also entered for the Jacques Schneider Maritime Cup. Entries for both these international events close on Tuesday, the 24th inst. £1,000 for Imperial Air Fleet Committee. IN response to the appeal made by the Imperial Air Fleet Com mittee, the distributors of "Shell" Motor Spirit have made a R.F.C., both Military and Naval Wings, an entirely separate and distinct branch of the Services, not, as has been advocated by some, by the constitution of a new Service, distinct from the Navy and Army altogether, but as specialist branches to which officers and men are entered on a permanent and non-transferable basis. Thus, and thus only, we believe, can we secure that body of trained and practised pilots with the necessary reserve against the wastage of war, which we shall one day find so vital to the national safety. In support of the arguments we have put forward, let us regard the case of France where the same system as our own obtains. Officers and men have been allowed to volunteer from their various units for training as pilots, to be sent back to regimental duty at the expiry of their period of training. The result of the system has been that now the number of volunteers for the air service has fallen almost to vanishing point. According to the latest available figures, the number of volunteers in 1911 was over 1,500. In 1912 only 300 presented themselves, while last year the figures fell to 22 ! In some measure this appalling drop may be ascribed to the internal troubles of the French air service—the " scandals," as they are described in the French Press— but in great part we believe the cause is to be found in the fact that there is no security of tenure. The man who desires to specialise in some particular branch wants continuity of employment in that branch, and it does not satisfy him to receive a more or less perfunctory training in it and then be sent back to take the ordinary duty he has escaped during his specialist days. The system is neither good for the Service nor for the keenness of the men themselves. True, this trouble has not so far spread to our own Services, in fact, quite the contrary, but there are possibilities of it ultimately doing so, which again is an argument for the creation of that special branch we are advocating. ® ® FORLANINI. We understand that the dirigible now ordered, though embodying several important improvements and modifi cations, will be of similar type and design to the " Citta di Milano," which was described in FLIGHT for January 24th, and which was taken over by the Italian Army last August. We learn that the British rights of construction were obtained, and all negotiations in Italy were carried through on behalf of the Armstrong Company by Messrs. Delacombe and Marechal of London. THE HAWK. ® ® donation of ;£ 1,000, this being the second donation from this source. A Council for French Military Aeronautics. As a result of the report, made to the Senate by Senator Reymond, on the state of French military aeronautics, M. Noulens, the Minister of War, has appointed a Supreme Council to control the workings of the reorganised Air Department of the Army. The Council includes four Senators, four Deputies, four members of the Institute of France, and one representative each of the Automobile Club, the Aero Club, the National Aerial League, and the University of Paris. Index and Title Page for Vol. V. THE Index and Title Page for Vol. V, January to December, 1913, has now been printed, and can be obtained by sending 2.d. to the publishers, 44, St. Martin's Lane, W.C. After February 21st the price will be f>d. post free. 132
Sign up to
Flight Digital Magazine
Flight Print Magazine
Airline Business Magazine
E-newsletters
RSS
Events
