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Aviation History
1920
1920 - 0790.PDF
population through the enemy's aerial attacks on this country. One way and another, therefore, we had expected that the Show would have been far more appealing to the popular imagination than it turned out to be. Why it fell short in the matter of attendances we do not pretend to know. Certainly it was not because of any failure of the Press of the country to do it justice. Every class of journal devoted con- siderable space to the Show and its lessons. The promoting Society advertised it well. Yet the fact remains that there was something lacking. In future years it will be as well if those who are responsible for its conduct will carefully enquire into the reasons and, if they are discoverable, set them right. There is the Motor Show to take as a standard. If that, which is devoted to what has become, after all, a commonplace of everyday life, can attract its hundreds of thousands, surely such an exhibition as the Aero Show should not fall far short if the proper means of publicity are used. ~v; --; -••-;.- - :• ;-.' • • • It was a moving affair, that dinner to The the survivors of the first hundredFirst pioneer pilots of flight, which took Hundred •», , -r , * ,, r-v.place during the currency of the Show. There are still left with us 73 of the first hundred British aviators, and of these 48 and many other pioneers were gathered together to pay homage to the past. There are no words in which to described the emotions of those who were present to do honour to those, too many of whom have given their lives for the cause of aviation, who, in the early days when men first made practical journeys in the air, risked everything to bring the science to that state in which it would be of real value to civilisation, by girdling the earth with a network of speedy communications which would bring peoples together and make for the lasting peace of the world. To our contemporary, Aeronautics, to whom the inception of the idea must be credited, the most grateful thanks of those who ultimately became associated with the gathering are due. Especially to be appreciated is the manner in which our con- temporary willingly stood down and relinquished the organisation into other hands when it became obvious that the universal interest was too great to allow of its remaining, so to say, sectional. We intend to do no more than make a passing reference to the function itself, which is fully reported in another part of this issue of FLIGHT. One thing, however, we ca.nnot allow to pass without correction, Mr. H. G. Wells, who has made for himself a name as a prophet, ventured again into the realms of prediction and showed himself to be just a little pessimistic regarding the future. W7e think he based his pessimism on false premises. He detailed the various disabilities which he alleges attach to inter- national flying, and drew a moving picture of the unfortunate traveller by air who, intending to take a long journey across several countries, is compelled to descend within each frontier, and is delayed many hours at each stopping place while he, .his"machine, and his baggage are searched for contraband. The sovereign states 01 Europe, he thought, were too small for modern aerial transport, and the situation had become intolerable. It is unfortunate for Mr. Wells' argument that nothing of the sort does or is likely to happen. All that kind of thing is provided against by the Air JULY 22, 1920 Convention, which lays down that free transit shall be accorded to the machines of each of the sub- scribing countries when passed over the territory of the others. For instance, the machine bound for Italy need not descend in France at all—it can pass over the frontiers at will, provided it conforms to the regulations and bears the proper identification marks as prescribed by the Convention. The begin- ning and end of the Convention is to eliminate all the vexations and delays which woxild be inevitable without its agreements, and to ensure, in turn, that the hospitalitj? of the air is not abused. If Mr. Wells has nothing more cogent to advance as a reason why aviation is not likely to prove of value to the commercial and travelling world we are certainly not inclined to view the future 'with alarm. . ~.•" _ V *"~ It has now been officially announced . An that Messrs. Beardmore and Co. intend Air Line almost immediately to inaugurate an - Glasgow aeroplane service between London and - r ...._. Glasgow. The first services will be in the nature of a test of the air-traffic conditions on such a 400-miles' route, and the inten- tion is to employ biplanes of the Beardmore type, which are capable of maintaining an all-weather speed of about 100 miles an hour. Allowing for a short stop at Brough, it is intended that the full journey shall occupy about five hours, against the average time by train of nearly ten hours. The fares for passenger traffic have not as yet been definitely fixed, but it is thought' they will be about fifteen guineas for the journey. Such a service must of necessity depend for financial success in its early days on a certain measure of support from the Post Office. That is to say, it must be given as much mail matter as possible to carry, so that regular loads can be assured. Up till quite recently we should have been inclined to view the possibility of postal support with scepticism, but there have been signs lately that the Post Office is becoming alive to the value of aerial transit. Therefore, we regard it as an assured possibility that the new London-Glasgow service will at least receive favourable consideration at the hands of the authorities. But there must be none of the half-a- crown per letter nonsense about it. It has been shown by figures which are beyond dispute that it is possible to carry first-class mail matter at ordinary postal rates and still to pay expenses, and in fact to show a profit. The business community does not, however, desire that the Post Office should risk making a loss through enterprise directed towards the provision of quicker commercial communications. ' It is prepared to pay for facilities, but not through the nose as it has had to do to take advantage of the London-Paris service. We welcome the news of the institution of this new service and wish every success- to its promoters. • • «• --'".. • On Saturday the race for the " Aerial The Derby " will, under the auspices of theAerial Derby Royai Aer£) Qub) take place> oyer practically the same routes as last year. This race has become almost as much of a classic as the great race from which it takes its name. Nothing that Lord Northcliffe has done for aviation— and he has done a great deal—has been of greater value to the movement than its conception. The London-Manchester race and the Atlantic flight 790
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