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Aviation History
1925
1925 - 0804.PDF
HT ~i^£!RgHlf> To take again as an example the Aerial Derby. This race is of an international character, but when it is remembered that machines for this event, in order, to have any chance at all, must be of such high power that their cost runs into several thousands of pounds, while the first prize offered was but a few hundred, it will be realised that there was little incentive to enter machines, and the one event that might have become an international affair at last had to be abandoned. The Royal Aero Club is, as is of course well knt>wn, entrusted with the organisation of aviation sporting events in Great Britain, but it cannot be expected to find entirely out of its very modest subscription funds sufficient money to be able to offer really substantial prizes. As it is, the Royal Aero Club has given prizes during the last few years totalling £4,000 up to 1923. In 1924 a Racing Fund was opened and close upon £2,000 was collected, most of which was subscribed outside the Club. In 1925 for the Racing Fund something like /1,000 was collected and spent on air racing. Considerable as are these amounts, they have proved inadequate, and the Royal Aero Club is now faced with the problem of not only how to increase the amounts, but how to maintain them in the future. A number of well-wishers of aviation have, in the past, contributed handsomely towards the Club's racing fund, Mr. Samuel Samuel and Sir Charles Wake- field heading the list with no less than £1,000 each, and others have given various smaller amounts. But generally speaking, it can, we think, be said that the general members of the Royal Aero Club have not contributed as much as might have been expected, and we understand that the Royal Aero Club is now in the very serious position of running at a loss, and that as a result it has been suggested that the sub- scription fee should be raised by one guinea. This matter will be the subject for discussion at the Special General Meeting to be held at the Club on Wednesday next, December 16. DECEMBER 10, 1925 Personally, we think, if possible, it were better not to raise the subscription fees, modest as they are, at present. In the case of ordinary members, the subscription would be increased from five guineas to six, and service members would be called upon to pay three guineas instead of the present two guineas. Yet it is quite evident that something must be done, and done without delay. The Royal Aero Club can justly claim that since the Club was founded, practically as a Society of Encourage- ment, in 1901, with a capital of £3-lls.-0d., members have never been asked to subscribe any funds towards the running of the Club, other than their yearly sub- scriptions, although on the other hand, these have been necessarily slightly increased, and now a further advance is suggested. If there really is no other way out, we would suggest that it might be made a condition of the raised sub- scription that the whole of the extra money provided in this way be devoted to air racing. If that were done, it appears to us that members could feel they were individually doing something really useful and valuable in the way of helping to revive air racing in Great Britain. At the same time, it is to be hoped that all who can do so will contribute towards the special Royal Aero Club Racing Fund. Small con- tributions are as gratefully accepted as large ones, whilst it is to be remembered that the Racing Fund provides a most excellent means of supporting sporting aviation in Great Britain, and Club members who are personally acquainted with wealthy people would be doing aviation a very real service by convincing them of the vast amount of good that could be done by substantial contributions. In the main, it is a ques- tion of making a good start again. The Aerial Pageant has shown that the general public is willing to go to flying meetings, provided there is something worth watching. A really good meeting can hardly be expected unless the prizes are substantial, and they can only be so, provided the Racing Fund is supplied with the necessary finances to that end. a The Gloucester Aerodrome a t Brockworth: It is probably not real- ised how exten- sive is the accom- modation which the Gloucester- shire Aircraft Co. has available at its aerodrome, situated a few miles out of Chel- tenham. Thi s photograph by Aerofilms, Ltd., gives an excellent idea of the vast shed accommo- dation and also includes a small portion of the aerodrome itself, and, in the back- ground , some of the open country surrounding the aerodrome. m 804
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