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Aviation History
1919
1919 - 0571.PDF
MAY I, 1919 ••CIVIL A MAJ.-GEN. SIR F. H. SYKES, Controller-General of Civil Aviation, presided on April 25 at a luncheon given by the Air Ministry at the Criterion Restaurant, and gave some further indication of the Ministry's policy regarding civil aviation. Gen. Sykes said he knew they would agree with him in regarding the occasion as one fraught with great possibilities for the future of the Empire. The occasion was in its po tentialities comparable with the first opening of railways in this country. A new venture affecting all the activities of the body politic was being launched with Government backing and help. In Military Aviation (which until recently was his task) he thought they might say without offence to any other people that circumstances had permitted us to lead the world. Britain's " War Effort in the Air " (which is printed on pp. 578-582), gave some idea of what was meant. It- was for us to see that we did not during Peace lose the advantage gained during War, and that we also held the same position in civil aviation. At the outset, perhaps, a word in regard to the absolute necessity for definite regulations might not be amiss. To be first in the field implied speed, but it did not mean hurry. One could not afford to make mistakes in the air as on the ground or even as at sea, and a series of accidents which might be caused by lack of forethought and precaution might well cause a setback to the whole art and industry. Before traffic in the air could become general, laws had to be estab lished for its guidance both for the security of those engaged in it and to try to help to protect those people who un willingly, of course, had to remain below. Flying was an international affair, and the first step had been to frame an international code. As the result of con ferences in Paris a draft Convention has been drawn up, and it was on it that our home regulations for civil flying would be based. They did not apply to British or foreign military aircraft. The first point that naturally occurred was who might fly ? The issue of the regulations would not mean that any civilian who so wished could at once take the air and fly to places overseas. That must wait for the ratification of the international agreement to put it on a permanent basis. Before being put to proof as to their technical capability those wishing to be pilots, navigators or engineers in the air, must pass a medical test. Physical, mental and tempera mental suitability were obviously very important, and had been made the subject of special medical research. Any person wishing to fly aircraft carrying either pas sengers or goods for hire must obtain a certificate to the effect that he is properly qualified to do so, and a licence. Turning from personnel to material every aircraft must be registered and would be assigned a registration and nationality mark. Before this, however, each particular type of aircraft would have to be officially inspected for design, material, construction and actual performance in the air. Machines would be certified for a definite load, for in the air no overloading or strap-hanging could be allowed. Each passenger or goods machine will carry log books. All passenger aircraft would be periodically inspected, overhauled and certified as airworthy and none would be allowed to start on any journey unless it had first been inspected on that same day by a competent person other than the pilot. As regards departure and arrival, passenger-carrying aircraft would be allowed to leave the ground or land (except under stress) only at certain aerodromes, which had been approved and licensed as being suitable. A list of those already selected is given elsewhere. Rules had been agreed to in Paris for the control of aero drome traffic, and would be attached to the regulations, and once in the air a definite international rule of the road must be adhered to. Every possible precaution must be taken against collision. Instant and instinctive decision were essential, and the rules must therefore be perfectly clear and simple. A small but important regulation forbids anything except ballast, that is to say, water or fine sand, to be dropped from aircraft. It must be remembered that even a small and comparatively light object casually thrown overboard by a B The French Air Service FIGURES published in Paris last week show that the French Air Service, which in January, 1916, numbered 1,070 officers and 28,444 men, had grown to 2,674 officers and 59,275 men in January, 1918. 57 /IATION" some thoughtless but well-meaning person might cause grievous damage below. So far as national secrecy was concerned, there are, of course, certain specified prohibited areas of a nature which could readily be imagined, over or by which no aircraft may fly. An obvious point which had not been lost sight of is the danger of certain undesirable gentlemen from overseas being literally dropped from the clouds in this country and the police and other authorities knowing nothing of their advent. The provisions of the Aliens Restrictions Order or the Defence of the Realm Regulations were applicable to persons arriving in this country by air equally with those arriving by sea, except that the place of " approved ports " was taken by that of " appointed aerodromes." The danger of aerial smuggling, once aviation becomes free, was a real one, and it was largely with this in view that there would be at present only four of these " appointed aero dromes " which might be used by aircraft arriving from or departing for abroad. If, however, they found that com mercial traffic developed, for instance, from Manchester or Liverpool to France, or, say, Italy, or even further afield, they could always extend the number by arrangement with the Customs. In regard to the recent foretaste of civil flying provided for in flips or short pleasure trips during Easter, he gathered that there has been some dissatisfaction as to the facilities granted by the Air Ministry. It has even been said that the facilities were, in fact, nothing but restrictions. To emphasise how necessary some of the restrictions were, he mentioned a few of the causes which might have given rise to serious accidents during Easter week if no limitations had been imposed and no precautions taken. As it was, the five days' flying passed without accident ; 972 people were carried safely. This, he thought, reflected credit not only on the firms and pilots concerned, but also on the Department which he had the honour to control, and which, acting on "safety first " has insisted on enforcing, despite some opposition, the regulations which were imposed. So soon as the announce ment that civilian flying was permitted from April 17 to 22 was made in the House of Commons by Gen. Seely on April 14, applications were sent in to the Air Ministry from all parts of the country for licensing of proposed sites for aerodromes, machines and pilots. The majority of the proposed sites had up to then never been used as aerodromes, but in every case officers were ordered by telegram to proceed to inspect them, and many of the places were found to be absolutely unsuitable. Furthermore, some of the pilots who applied for licences were found on investigation to have retired from the R.A.F. as " permanently unfit for pilot or observer." Had permission been granted to these men to take passengers into the air, accidents might have occurred with most disastrous results. Again, in some cases licences were asked for machines which were either obsolete or had not passed their experi mental stage. Aviation was still a new science. They had learned most of that which they already knew by bitter and tragic ex perience. Let them not flatter themselves that an easy path lies ahead, and that a benign chance would lead them inevitably to their goal. Future success will only be theirs if they deserved it as the result of initiative—honest work manship, perseverance and skill. As the Secretary of State has pointed out, the task of the Department of Civil Aviation would be to help in every way by the provision and dissemination of intelligence" and information and expert opinion. If, as they were doing, and he was sure they would do, they displayed real team work in its best sense, he had no doubt of the continued success x of British aviation. Among those present were :—Lord Londonderry; Brig.- Gen. R. M. Groves, Deputy-Chief of the Air Staff; Mr. H. W. W. McAnally, Assistant Secretary to the Air Ministry ; Maj.-Gen. Ellington, Director-General of Supply and Re search ; Maj.-Gen. E. D. Swinton, Controller of Information, Air Ministry ; Mr. C. V. Allen, secretary, and Mr. H. Fulton, treasurer of the Society of British Aircraft Constructors; Brig.-Gen. Sir Capel Holden, vice-chairman, and Lieut.- Comdr. H. E. Perrin, secretary of the Royal Aero Club. H H Over the Alps LEAVING Lyons in a gale, three Italian military pilots, in a 600 h.p. aeroplane, on April 23 flew across the Alps and landed safely at Cambiano, near Turin, the trip having taken 2$ hours. On the way they encountered a heavy snowstorm. I
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