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Aviation History
1923
1923 - 0092.PDF
to Berlin over the ordinary German frontier ; (2) Those involved in flying over the occupied area to Cologne. As Germany is not yet a signatory of the I.C.A.N., by Article 5, as it stands, we cannot make an agreement with her, but, as I have explained above, the International Commission has already decided to modify Article 5, so as to permit agreements with non-signatory States. As soon as ratification of this modification is concluded, we shall have power to make an agreement with Germany permitting us to fly to Berlin and German aircraft to fly to London. The case of Cologne is more difficult. The Treaty of Versailles and the ordinances and decisions which have been drawn up since its signature forbid German aircraft to work over the occupied area until Germany has joined the International Convention. Germany was invited by the Allied Council of Ambassadors to join the Interna'tional Convention during the latter part of December. Germany accepted this invitation on conditions that Articles 5 and 34 should be modified in certain respects. I think we can say that Germany is certain to become a member of the I.C.A.N. during the next few months if the Ruhr troubles do not dislocate all international arrangements. I must mention one other difficulty which lies in our path. Germany, Austria, Hungary and Bulgaria have all accepted certain restrictions on their"aeronautical design and organisa- tion under the Treaty of Versailles. These restrictions are known as the " Nine Rules." Amongst other items, these Nine Rules impose certain limitations in speed, climb and useful load, which make it impossible for these countries to employ really efficient commercial aircraft, although, of course, they are only intended to prevent the construction of military aircraft. Germany claims that if these rules are enforced on her, she equally can enforce them against foreign aircraft crossing her frontier. If these Nine Rules are enforced, if Germany's threat holds good, and if her old Allies follow her lead, air transport to the East will be very seriously handicapped, as the only route open to our aircraft which does not impose the Nine Rules will then be via Italy and Greece. I believe, however, that the Germans are putting forward some suggested modifications to these rules, which it may be hoped will remove this direct handicap on international air transport. From October, 1921, to October, 1922, 621,725 miles were flown. From October 1, 1922, to October, 1923, 637,846 miles is the minimum demanded, and probably con- siderably more will be flown. 1,350 miles of air routes are to be covered instead of 420 miles, and this may be raised to 1,500 or 1,600 miles, but a good deal depends on our negotia- tions with Germany. Unsubsidised Undertakings.—There are two organisations which deserve special mention—the De Havilland taxi service and the Savage Sky-writing Co. Neither are helped in any way by the Government, and both have done a lot of work and made both ends meet financially. The De Havilland Service have flown the length and breadth of Europe without a single accident to pilot or passenger. During 1922, they have flown 126,000 miles in 1,400 hrs. Thirty-seven per cent, of this had been newspaper and cinema work, 33 per cent, taxi work, 18 per cent, aerial photography and 12 per cent, teaching. The charge made for a 250 h.p. machine carrying 3 passengers is 2s. 6d. per mile, and this, I believe, is to be reduced to 25., which, I think you will agree, proves that air transport is already beginning to compare quite favourably with road transport. The Savage Sky-writing Co., has been working in various parts of England and France, and has now sent an expedition to America. ' It is equipped with the old Fighting Scout S.E.5. The nature of the work demands very fine piloting at high altitudes, and should provide excellent training for fighting in the air. The company now have 12 S.E.5a's in commission and besides employing 16 pilots, they are giving casual employment to others. I think I can say that both these companies are national assets, and their management deserves great credit for the good work they have done. Various small joy-riding organisations are still in existence, notably the Surrey Flying Services and the Berkshire Aviation Co. The flying hours accomplished by these enterprises are considerably less than they were in the years immediately after the War, 22,000 as compared with 36,000 and 37,000 in 1920 and 1921. This branch of civil aviation is very valuable as a means of propaganda to the public, and also provides a certain number of training machines and good training pilots and mechanics who would be available in case of mobilisation. The King's Cup Race.—Owing to the general slump in the manufacturing industry it has been extremely difficult to keep air racing on its feet. His Majesty the King, however, FEBRUARY 15, 1923 has given us a great incentive-by presenting the King's Cup to be competed for annually ; the first race for this Cup took the form of a handicap round England and Scotland, and was flown during September last. This race was an unqualified success. There were 21 starters, and not one single accident. It had very great value as a means of propaganda to the public, and huge crowds gathered at all the big centres at which halts were made. I am glad to say that His Majesty the King is giving another Cup this year for the same purpose. Perhaps the best sporting' feat accomplished by British aircraft during 1922 was the winning of the Schneider Cup by the Supermarine Co., with one of their flying boats fitted with a Napier " Lion" engine. It is obvious that the promotion of racing is of distinct national value ; it encourages the designer to unceasing efforts towards increasing speed, a quality which is invaluable in the fighting machine. I may mention here another class of enterprise for which, like those I have just been enumerating, the Government can claim no credit whatever. I refer to the individual efforts and great flying feats by British pilots, British mechanics and British aircraft. We were the first nation to fly as far as Australia and South Africa ; we were the first nation to fly across the Atlantic ; and today we are certainly going to try to be the first nation to fly round the world. Today we have no less than five different groups of pilots who are thinking out schemes for this magnificent effort. If it is not done this year, I think it ought to be done next. In any case, the Air Ministry are all out to help in every way possible, any expedition which can prove that it is soundly organised, that proper arrangements have been made in the different parts of the world over which it will be necessary to fly, and that it has a sound financial backing. General resume of British Progress in Europe.—Safety and reliability are the two most important objectives which air transport has to attain today. When we have established those two factors we shall have no more trouble in obtaining traffic. There have been no fatal accidents to passengers on regular British air routes during 1922 ; only one passenger was slightly injured in a collision on the ground ; beyond this there were six minor accidents in none of •which anyone was hurt. No paying passengers were either killed or injured on joy-rides. During the year the regular subsidised services carried about 10,100 passengers and 22,200 flew on joy-riding flights. I think we can fairly say that the reults of 1922 point to air transport being a safe means of progress if properly organised and properly administered. Reliability is more difficult to assess, but I can give you one set of figures which point to progress. During 1920, 1,869 flights were commenced by British machines on the London- Paris route, 80 per cent, of these were completed within 4 lirs. ; during 1921, 1,926 flights were commenced, and 89 per cent, of them were completed within 4 hrs. ; in 1922, 2,055 flights were commenced, and 92 per cent, of them were completed within 4 hrs. It must be remembered that these flights covered all the worst part of the winter, and that the per- centage of reliability during the summer months was very much higher. [This method of stating the reliability of air services is apt to be somewhat misleading. It is sound in so far as it should tend to assure potential passengers that, if they start at all, they will have 92 per cent, chances of getting through within the time limit of 4 hrs. On the other hand, looked upon from a purely commercial point of view, the figures mean absolutely nothing, since it would be possible for a firm, by refusing to start unless the weather were ideal, to obtain 100 per cent, efficiency. To us it appears that a sounder basis to use would be number of flights completed out of a total number of flights scheduled. That the figures obtained on this basis would be considerably lower may be admitted, but they would be a great deal more convincing—ED.] Engine failure is rapidly vanishing. During September, October and November, in 1,414 flights there were only 4 cases on the subsidized routes across the Channel. The next point of interest is our progress towards economical running. In 1921, the maximum number of British aircraft employed on the cross-Channel services was 13 during August ; and each of these 13 machines did 12 cross-Channel flights during that month. In 1922, during the same month of August, 24 machines were being operated, but they carried out double the number of flights, each averaging 25 flights, per month. One machine—a D.H.34, EBBS—operated by Daimler Airways, flew on 127 days out of 165, covering a total of 80,000 miles. That aircraft is still running and completed about 108,000 miles in the 9 months since April 13, without 92
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