FlightGlobal.com
Home
Premium
Archive
Video
Images
Forum
Atlas
Blogs
Jobs
Shop
RSS
Email Newsletters
You are in:
Home
Aviation History
1923
1923 - 0116.PDF
assumed to be entirely unbiassed in the matter of aviation, and that it would regard the problems from a business point of view. This is all to the good, and the sooner we get the business men of the country interested, and obtain their views and advice, the better for the future of civil aviation. So far as it goes, therefore, we welcome the report of the committee. Under the scheme suggested the Government would have but a minimum of^control— only such as is afforded by the presence on the board of directors of one or two representatives of the Government—while the scheme has been drafted with the idea that it was essential that the company itself should primarily risk its own resources. It cannot be denied that in the past the companies have lived mainly on the Government subsidies. This is casting no reflection on the firms, who have been doing valuable pioneer work in keeping the lines working and accumulating a wealth of useful data which, we hope, will be made full use of in forming the new company, assuming for the moment that such a company is formed. So long as there was no fixed Government policy the operating companies could not possibly sink the required amount of capital in their undertakings, and in our view the chief merit of the suggested scheme lies in the formation of a definite policy, a guarantee covering a period of 10 years. The details of the scheme will play a very important part, but, at any rate, it appears that we should be starting on a good foundation. It may be assumed that the distribution of the subsidy would not be in the form of £100,000 per annum, but rather would be more during the early vears and less towards the end of the 10-year period." If the right man can be found to direct the new organisation a great step will have been made, but it is absolutely essential that he should be an experienced and influential business man, and, moreover, that he should be able to give almost his whole time to the new company. The problems will be so numerous and so great that no part-time arrangement with any man, however clever, could do justice to either the shareholders or the Government. As to the principles involved : personally we have always been against subsidies, and we are even more strongly opposed to monopolies. But it is inevitable that any fair-minded person who examines the situation carefully and soberly must arrive at the same conclusion as that reached by the committee, that here is an instance where a subsidy is unavoidable and justifiable. As regards monopoly, in the past it has been proved to the hilt that competition between British companies was not competition. All the companies lived upon their subsidies, and what actually happened was that the Air Ministry was virtually competing against itself, with nobody bene- fiting and no visible approach to the day of self- supporting civil aviation. Therefore the suggestion that in the future—for the next ten years, at any rate—civil air transport operation should be ia. the hands of one powerful company, of a commercial constitution and merely occupying a privileged position, maybe accepted as being thoroughly sound, provided certain safeguards are insisted upon. For instance, after the excellent, though commer- cially unsuccessful, work done by the present com- panies, they must be given an opportunity of disposing of their valuable data at a fair remuneration in some form or other. If they desire they should be admitted as shareholders, although it is not suggested that MARCH 1, 1923 the new company should be merely an amalgamation of the present ones. The question of the " goodwill" of the companies also arises in this connection, and would have to be considered. Then there are the broader principles involved. For instance, if the suggested company comes into being, and is operating a certain route, unsubsidised firms should be afforded the use of the ground organi- sation, such as wireless,' etc., assuming that such arrangements remain in Government hands and are .-r, not taken over by the new company. In this connec- ---. tion we think they should remain Government services. It would be unthinkable if lighthouses, buoys, charts, ' etc., were made the sole property of a commercial ~ shipping company, and much the same position would arise in the case of air transport. There are certainly a vast number of problems to ~ be discussed before the scheme can be finally launched, but, fortunately, the present arrangements do not '•;• expire until 1924, and provided the present opera- tional firms desire to carry on, nothing can be done until then. Thus there is more than a year in which to work out the details, and even, possibly, entirely modify the scheme. In the meantime, we have a very excellent basis on which to start discussions, and doubtless a scheme, even if somewhat differing from the one suggested, will be evolved during the present year. • • • -.••••'.'.' '.." ,'••'."' Under the*notes of the Royal Aero „ .Th?. Club will be found the announcementSchneider ,,,.•.,. £ ,-, x • J.-L.Cup Race that the date for the race for the Schneider Cup, to be flown at Cowes, is September 28, 1923. We had hoped that it might be possible to arrange for the course to be a triangular one, laid over the Channel, with two turning-points in England and one in France. Apparently this has not been found feasible, and the choice of Cowes, in the circumstances, is, we think, a good one. The objection might be raised that in case of misty weather there might be some danger of the machines colliding with surface vessels. The danger of their colliding with one another would be present in any locality. While there is something to be said for that contention, it may be assumed that in case of misty weather the competition would be postponed. Mr. " Sammy " Saunders has, with his usual good sportsmanship, offered the use of his large sheds for the accommodation of all the machines. It will still be remembered how, in 1919, he practically t rebuilt one of the French machines, and we are quite certain that Mr. Saunders will be equally willing to :1, help should the necessity arise again this year. The .-. scene for the competition is conveniently situated, ?" with housing and repair facilities close at hand, both at Cowes, Calshot and Hamble. The turning-points will be at Cowes, Calshot and Southsea, and the machines should, therefore, be in sight both from the mainland and from the Isle of . Wight throughout the race. In yacht racing one T of the great difficulties is to enable watchers on shore ;;;: to follow the race. In that case the " outsider does -i not see most of the game," many of the finer points _ being lost to him from his station ashore. In the case of a seaplane race conditions are slightly better, as the machines are more clearly visible, while they will not all start together, and the main pleasure will , therefore be the timing of the various competitors as they round the turning-points. We sincerely trust that th,e weather may be propitious. 116
Sign up to
Flight Digital Magazine
Flight Print Magazine
Airline Business Magazine
E-newsletters
RSS
Events
