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Aviation History
1919
1919 - 0777.PDF
AVIATION AS AFFECTING INDIA* THE idea of the magic carpet came from the East, but the writer of " The Arabian Nights " could hardly have imagined, when he translated the well-known fairy story, that within a comparatively short time, as the history of the world goes, aircraft would be its modern parallel. And, moreover, the East is more suitable for flying than what we know as the West, and in the whole of the East there is no country more suited to aviation than India. Whether the most important factor in flying, meteorology, be considered, or easily made landing grounds, or local supplies of liquid fuel, there can be but one conclusion, namely, that India is an ideal country for aviation. And if incentives are wanted, the land and sea communications of India, both internally and externally, leave much to be desired, and a table of railway speeds, which I give later on, shows how great would be the saving of time, even at comparatively slow air speeds, which the aeroplane should achieve. When one comes to consider also the com munications between India and these islands, it is remarkable that certain circumstances, some of them commercial and some of them geographical, prevent anything approaching rapid communication being carried on between Western Europe and Indian ports. It is a maxim now realised by everyone who has studied aviation, that the longer the distance the greater the gain of the aeroplane over other methods of transport. Whether we take the shortest possible direct route to India—say, 3,000 miles in length—or the longer journey now being used by way of France, Italy, Egypt, Palestine and Mesopotamia— some 5,000 miles in length—in either case many days are saved. As to airmails (carrying airgrams, as I would call them), when daily communication is established, it is safe to prophesy that the present block of several days delay on the Eastern Telegraph Company will be relieved at once. I may remark in passing that the cable companies rather than the shipping companies will feel the competition of airgrams. When we are considering the question of routes other than those by air, we must realise that the distances from Indian ports to English ports are much lengthened by the peninsulas of Spain and of Arabia, which jut out in such a way as to make the course from the Channel to India a zig-zag one, resulting in the distance by sea, about 6,000 miles, being about double the distance by air direct. Even by the most rapid mail route, via Brindisi, Italy, and France, the distance from Bombay to London is nearly 5,000 miles, or 2,000 miles longer than the shortest air route. Then there are the necessary delays of the Suez Canal, say, 24 hours on an average. In the case of flying between England and India there is now a long but well mapped out route, to some extent pro vided with insufficiently numerous but regular stages, landing grounds, and spare part depots. With the exception of the flight over the Channel, France and Northern Italy, no serious climatic disadvantages exist. As regards Imperial or inter national control, the present air routes to India pass, with the exception of France, Italy and Crete, entirely under the direction of the British Empire. Moreover, when India is reached, it is by no means a dead end, to use an old railway phrase, as some may think. India is half way between London and Australia, and beyond India lie many important parts of the Empire, such as Australia and New Zealand, Burma, the Federated Malay States, British Borneo, and Hong-Kong. The winter conditions in Siberia and Thibet will preclude regular flying from China and the East to Europe for many years to come, and the route south of the Himalayas is therefore certain to be used. The Northern Plains of India, from Peshawar to Calcutta, therefore, will become one day one of the world's greatest airways. I consider that Heliopolis (Cairo) will be the most important single centre of air transport for the Old World—Europe, Asia and Africa—for thence will radiate services to East, Central, and South Africa on the one side, and on the other to India and countries beyond. But next to Cairo in im portance will be some Indian station for reception of all mails east of India to places ranging from Vladivostock to New Zealand. As regards internal communications, India is a country of vast distances and of bad communications. It is in adequately provided with railways and roads. The average train speeds before the war, even including the usual one mail train each way a day, were very slow compared with ordinary European or American standards. ~* Extracts from Paper read bv Brigadier-General Lord Montagu of Beaulieu, C.S.I., V.D., F.R.Met.Soc., A.Inst.C.E., A.I.Mech.E., before the Indian Section of the Royal Society of Arts on June 5, 1919. I set out in a table at the end of this part of the paper the time taken by the fastest Indian trains in October, 1918, between certain important centres, and also the time which would be taken by aeroplanes, at the low average speed oi 70 m.p.h. Another special aspect of flying within India itself should be considered, namely, if it is possible to set up regular pas senger services between hill stations and the plains below, except, perhaps, during the months of November, December and January. Such services would give over-worked officials, civil and military, and their families, suffering from the effects of heat, an easier chance of constant recuperation in the hills for short periods, or even week-ends, without so large a proportion of time being absorbed as at present, in slow railway or road journeys. An illustration of this exists in the case of Kashmir. Rawal Pindi, the railhead for the Kash mir road, is 200 miles from Srinagar. Along this road, even in a powerful motor car, high speeds are impossible, and, as a rule, most travellers have to put up with the delays and inconveniences of tongas, in which the journey generally takes two or even three days. An aeroplane, on the other hand, would cover the distance from the town of Jhelum (on the main line of the N.W.R.) to the Maidan, outside Srinagar, an ideal landing ground about 80 to 90 miles dis tant, in a little over an hour. From the same point to-day by rail and road, the time taken by the ordinary passenger exceeds 50 hours, even if a motor car is used. If Kashmir is to become, in the future, more and more, the playground and health station of the British race in Northern India during the summer months, such a passenger service by air would prove of immense value. The highest point through the Ferozepore nullah to be crossed over the intervening range, the Pir Panjal, is not higher than 8,000 ft., an altitude easily exceeded by all our larger bomb-carrying planes to-day, a type which is probably the forerunner of the passenger- carrying planes of the future. We must also consider other military and civil stations at high altitudes, such as Quetta. Those condemned to live during the summer months at stations in or near the Indus Valley, between Karachi and Mooltan, could in a few hours find themselves in the far cooler atmosphere beyond the Bolan Pass, or perhaps at a new hill station, say at Rusmuk in the Mahsud country. As regards Simla and other Himalayan hill stations, the problem of landing grounds is an admittedly difficult one. At Simla there is perhaps one landing ground possible, namely, Annandale, if it were improved for the purpose. But, on the other hand, very soon aeroplanes will be able to land on an area of ground equal to about four to six tennis lawns, and the Government of India could easily make, in many places, artificial small flat spaces ending in ramps. So long as external mails are conveyed by sea, and arrive at and depart from Bombay, the mail service to and from that port can be much accelerated, compared with the present train service. From Bombay to Calcutta, by the shortest railway route, is 1,223 miles, a journey of about 46 hours. As regards the control and organisation of flying in India, I have heard it argued that the Government of India should allow no private ownership of machines, and that no Indians should be Hcensed to fly. Though it is obvious that care must be taken that the planes owned by any individual are not capable of being used for hostile action against the com munity, such as bombing, or fitted with apparatus for machine-gun use, it seems to me very unwise to try to prevent the progress of aviation among any citizens of the Empire, Indians or any other peoples, who are keen to fly and able to possess their own machines. I would suggest, however, that at first landing grounds should be Government owned, but let to private companies if necessary, and regulations must be made to prevent any cause of offence arising from the use of aeroplanes. For instance, considering the excitability of Eastern crowds, it would be dangerous to allow flying to take place over sacred places, large towns, or over religious processions. In entering India from outside, landings should only be permitted on Government controlled grounds, or otherwise smuggling may become troublesome. Pilots and their machines must be numbered and licensed, as suggested by the proposed international agreement. I may mention that several of the great chiefs in India are already keen on aviation, and shortly we may see maharajas and rajas arriving in royal state at Delhi Durbars in gorgeously fitted aeroplanes, and relieving the over- congested Indian railways of their special trains or coaches. 777
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