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Aviation History
1917
1917 - 0961.PDF
Flight, September 20, 1917. BMQISTB&Fb First Aero Weekly in the World. • • Founder and Editor: STANLEY SPOONER. A Journal devoted to the Interests, Practice, and Progress of Aerial Locomotion and Transport. OFFICIAL ORGAN OF THE ROYAL AERO CLUB OF THE UNITED KINGDOM. No. «6. (No. 38, Vol. DC.) SEPTEMBER 20, 1917. ["Weekly, Price 3d.L Post Free, *A. - Fligl&t "." "' and The Aircraft Engineer. Editorial Office: 44, ST. MARTIN'S LANE, LONDON, W.C. 2. Telegrams : Truditur, Westrand, London. Telephone: Gerrard 1828. Annual Subscription Rates, Post Free. United Kingdom .. 15*. sd. Abroad.. .. .. 30s. oii. CONTENTS. Editorial Comment : • PAGE Airmen and Life Assurance ... 961 Our Aerial Activities _ .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 961 "A Memorial to Major Goodden .. .. .. .. .. .. 962 ' " " Calling the Engineers " .. .. 062 The National Party and its Aims .. .. .. .. .. .. 96-) Honours .. .. .. .... .. .. .. 965 The G.A.C.-'Verville" Pusher Biplane ".. .. 967 The Royal Aero Club. Official Notices 971 The Roll of Honour .. 971 Correspondence .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 972 Air Raids and Some Conclusions .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 97^; Airisms from the Four Winds .. .. . .. .. 975 A Memorial to Major (Joodden .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 977 Personals .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 97S The British Air Services . .. .. .. .. .. .. 9S0 Aircraft Work at the Front. Official Information 9S1 Sopwith Sports .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ^ .. 983 Aeronautical Society of Great Britain. .. .. .. .. .. .. 986 Model Crabs Diary and Reports .. .. .. .. .. .. . 986 Side-Winds - 988 EDITORIAL COMMENT. CORRESPONDENT of the Daily Mail raises a point of considerable interest and importance to pr&sent and future members of the Flying Services. He states that he ap- proached two insurance companies with a view to securing a life policy for his son, who is an officer in the R.F.C., but that both companies flatly declined to- have anything to do with the matter on account of the risky nature of the occupation of Airmen a flying officer. He suggests that as the_ Life insurance companies will not issue Assurance, policies, the right thing to be dpne is for the Government to introduce a scheme of life insurance, open to officers of the two Flying Services. Broadly, but with reservations, we are inclined to agree with the views expressed by the correspondent whose letter we are discussing. It would be an admirable scheme on its merits if the Government decided to adopt the suggestion, so long as there was no question about its being a purely business affair. To put it plainly, it would have to be based on the principle that premiums were accepted and risks paid as an act of grace only, because, however much we may deplore the dangers our aviators have to encounter and liowever also. we may have to deplore the loss of life inseparable from flying under modern war conditions, we have to squarely face the fact that as a purely business proposition the lives of our flying men are uninsur- able, except at a premium rate which would make insurance practically impossible. There is another aspect of the matter which the Daily Mail correspondent has ignored, which is that the Government already has in operation one of the best possible insurance schemes, one which has the gre^t merit of costing nothing to the assured. We refer to the pension scheme, under which the disabled officer receives what is not ungenerous treatment, especially when we compare it with the treatment accorded to the 'officers of the fighting forces of other countries, and under which the dependents of officers who are killed on service are at least put beyond actual want. It seems to us that if any change is found tor^be desirable it might take the form of an increased pension in consideration of the payment of a premium by the officer, though, except on the lines of broad principle, we are not inclined to view with any great favour the entry of the Government into the insurance business, whether life or any other kind. These are matters of pure commerce, and should, generally speaking, be left to the insurance companies, which are only too willing to accept anything in the way of a legitimate business risk. When we ask the Government to accept risks that are declined in the ordinary way of business we are asking for something which ceases to be insurance as we understand it and becomes something else. It would be a mistake to associate the 1 . intense activity of our airmen behind Activities, the enemy's lines Avith an intention to effect reprisals on the Germans in return for their raids on open, undefended towns in England. On the contrary, they are simply a part of the ordinary routine of the war in the shape it has taken on, and are, in all probability, merely ante- cedent to great operations in the areas concerned. As a matter of fact, the policy of actual reprisals has 8 :•
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