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Aviation History
1924
1924 - 0170.PDF
Smith and Sons is a guarantee that there shall be no avoidable trouble in this direction. As for the men themselves, they are all three young, they are extraordinarily keen, and last, but by no means least, they have, over a long period, planned the expedition with most thoroughgoing care. The chief of the expedition, Squadron-Leader MacLaren, has a splendid record in the R.A.F., and among his past achievements it is only necessary to mention his" flight in a Handley Page from London to Aden in 1919, the first flight to be made over that part of the world. Flying-Officer Plenderleith, who is acting as pilot on the world-flight, accompanied Squadron- Leader MacLaren on the flight to Aden, so that the chief and his second-in-command know one another intimately and are accustomed to work together. Flight-Sergeant Andrews has spent several weeks at the Napier works, getting thoroughly well acquainted with the " Lion," and another few weeks at the Vickers Weybridge works familiarising him self with every detail of the " Vulture." Maps, charts, and other information relating to the route have been collected, so that the expedition sets out extremely well prepared. If the attempt fails, it will be for no foreseeable omission or oversight in the organisation. The task is a terrific one, and the strain on crew as well as on machine and engine will be severe. There is, however, every reason to hope and to expect that the three gallant aviators will succeed in their undertaking. Whether they will circle the globe before the Americans do so remains to be seen. That they will circle it we have little doubt. And once more we wish them success. The thoughts of millions will follow them on their journey, and in FLIGHT we hope to indicate, on a sketch-map, the progress made from week to week. The map is diagrammatic, but it is thought that it should show at a glance the relative positions of the British and American expeditions. What "Flight" Saved the Nation! An interesting answer upon the subject of Government aircraft insurance was given in Parliament on March 24, when Mr. Harmsworth asked the Chan cellor of the Exchequer what was the amount of the balance left after discharging claims under His Majesty's Government air-raid insurance scheme during the late War ; and how that balance has since been disposed of ? Mr. Alexander, who replied on behalf of the Government, said the excess of premiums recehied by the Government under the aircraft insurance scheme, after deducting commission and expenses, allowed to approved insurance companies who acted as agents in connection with the operation of the scheme, and paying claims and assessors' fees connected therewith, was £10,898,187 8s. 2d. This surplus was paid into the National Exchequer. And that's that; but it might have been several millions more had the then Government acted immedi ately upon the proposal originally put forward by and in FLIGHT in the early days of October, 1914, and hammered in week after week in our journal. There will be found the exact scheme as ultimately carried out by the authorities, even down to the placing the whole premium collection upon a com mission basis, into the hands of insurance com panies, thereby utilising the vast organisation re sources of those great institutions without one penny cost or risk to the country. Yet it was not until July, 1915, that somebody woke up and set our scheme going. In the meantime, millions in premiums had been pocketed by those astute people, members of Lloyd's. And we are still left wondering who got credit for FLIGHT insurance scheme, and who got the few dozen or more baronetcies and knighthoods which the equivalent amount of cash paid into Party coffers would have commanded ! We wonder ' THE WORLD-FLIGHT : The Air Minister, Lord Thomson, wishing the crew good luck in their splendid a#f/\«*+ O i.^ht *v\ lAf* T.r\T*H Th/imcrtti fimiQHi*An.T.a!tHar A/for>T a van 171«rin*i /"Iff£*><»*- SIMHAM^W Y% QVIH TT11«Slif effort »* m •• •" •• ——————— . — —m- -——— i, B| i i g __._... — !• • -m.m V—J ». *u»u.i Right to left—Lord Thomson, Squadron-Leader MacLaren, Sergeant Andrews. Flying Officer Plenderleith, and Flight 170
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