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Aviation History
1920
1920 - 0412.PDF
The French have always been very The thorough in their methods of develop- ^3ennett *n^> new movements- In the early days Aviation °f the motor-car the Government, with Contest far-sighted vision, realised that there was more in the new locomotion than a mere means of amusement, and extended to it all the assistance possible. Races on. the public roads were not only permitted but encouraged, so that not only were those concerned with the industry enabled to discover and eliminate the weaker points of design and construction, but the mass of the public was given an opportunity of seeing the new invention developed under its eyes the while prejudice was removed by the rapid growth of familiarity with the car. It is true that there was revulsion after the disasters of the Paris-Madrid race, but that was short lived, and Government and people very soon realised that the accidents which attended this unfortunate event were in no sense due to the vehicle, but were to be laid to the account of bad organisa- tion of the race itself. The policy of encouragement was pursued, with the result that by the time preju- dice and persecution had been lived down in England, our own industry had years of leeway to make up and started with a handicap which must, to those in the industry at the time, have seemed almost impossible to overtake. So it has been in the case of aviation—or at least was until the War gave everyone a completely new Outlook on flying and aircraft. In France the early experimenters were given every facility for carrying out trials. As soon as practical flying became an estatmsned fact, every encouragement was given, both by the Government and by highly placed in- dividuals, for the organisation of competitive and sporting events. The French imagination realised that there is nothing which develops what may be called a competitive invention so rapidly as the introduction of the spirit of competition. And so it is today. This year the race for the Gordon-Bennett Aviation trophy has to be flown in France, and our friends on the other side of the Channel are going all out to make the event a success, and incidentally to show to the many hundreds of foreign visitors who will attend* the race that there is nothing quite so good as French machines and French engines. They are out to make a real " aviation week " such as we were used to see before the War—and we certainly wish them every success in the venture. Whether such an extended programme of aerial events, would suit the British temperament we rather doubt. Our own crowds soon become blase, and will not stand a long programme of flying or of any other series of events, such as will send a French assembly into ecstasies, and we think the R.Ae.C. is quite right to have confined our own programme to single sporting events, mostly of a long-distance character. We might add that we could wish the Club and those APRIL 15, 1920 associated with it in the promotion of sporting fixtures could have seen their way to the promotion of more of such events, because of the excellent propaganda they carry with them. However, it is possible they have good reasons for limiting the pro- gramme, and we shall not presume to quarrel with it. Last Sunday's Observer contained an Lord interesting interview with Lord Inver- ^nd^the* forth> who has been at the head ofDisposal the Ministry of Munitions since the Board Armistice. Primarily, the interview is based on the recent sale to a business syndicate of the great motor depot at Slough, which is a deal we do' not propose to discuss here. It is interesting, however, to follow Lord Inverforth through his statements regarding the methods by which he and his staff of the Disposal Board have succeeded in getting rid of most of the surplus stores and material accumulated during the War, and of the manner in which those methods have worked to the advantage of the tax- payer. It is almost startling to hear that no less than £330,000,000 have been realised by the sales of surplus stores and on trading account of wool, leather, flax, and other materials, including ferrous and non-ferrous metals. The position regarding the various parts of the world where disposable stores were held at the end of the War is that in Belgium everything has been sold. In France £50,000,000 worth has been sold, mostly to the French Govern- ment. Over £80,000,000 worth has been • brought back to this country to supplement War Office reserves ; £15,000,000 worth has been brought back and sold in this country, leaving about £30,000,000 worth still to be sold. In Italy disposal will be com- pleted this month. In East Africa all sales have been completed. In Egypt the work of disposal has been delayed by the unsettled condition of the country, but sales are being made. In Mesopotamia sales are proceeding satisfactorily. The only theatre where disposal is not proceeding apace is in the Balkans, and for this Lord Inverforth accounts significantly by saying that "it is still to be seen whether the War Office may not require many of the stores formerly regarded as surplus." In reply to the critics who have accused the Dis- posal Board of holding up sales of commodities urgently required by the nation, Lord Inverforth quotes figures totalling £126,000,000 representing the sales of such materials. It is all very convincing as it reads, and while we agree that the task of disposing of the war surplus is no light' one, we still are of opinion that there is another side to the picture, and that the real truth of matters lies somewhere between Lord Inverforth's rosy description of the activities of the Board and the criticisms, which have been levelled against it. Regulations for Civil Flying in Switzerland THE Air Ministry has issued the following Notice to Airmen (No. 38) :— " It is notified for information that the Swiss Government have formulated the following rules, to be observed by all aircraft navigating over Swiss territory. " 1. Aircraft are not allowed to fly at a lower height than 1,000 m. (3,281 feet) above the undermentioned towns":— " Basle, Berne, Bienne, Geneva, Lausanne, Lucerne, St. Gall, Winterthur, Zurich. "2. Aircraft are not to fly at a lower height than 500 m. (1,640 ft.) over all other localities. " 3. For the present, landing is only permitted in Switzer- land at places where the Customs Authorities have a control station in operation. These places are :—• " (a) For aeroplanes and airships.—Dubendorf, about five miles E. by N. of Zurich and La Blecherette, north of Lausanne. " (b) For seaplanes and flying-boats.—Geneva, Lugano. Ouchy, Romanshorn, Zurich, Zurichhorn. " 4. Arrangements are being made for the preparation of several other public landing grounds, where Swiss and foreign aircraft will be able to land after passing through the necessary customs formalities at one of the customs control 'stations mentioned above." 412
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