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Aviation History
1926
1926 - 0092.PDF
The Committee would draw attention to the fact that the medical examination under this licence is carried out by the applicant's usual medical attendant, and is on the same lines as that of an ordinary life insurance medical examination. The Air Ministry do not contemplate any alteration in this, and the Committee are disposed to agree. (2) Regulation 3 of Air Ministry Notice No. 56 calls for the candidate to pass a technical examination. Do you consider that the technical examination should be simplified ? (3) Certificates of Airworthiness. Air Ministry Notice No. 56, para. 12. Proposed Amendments, para. 3. The Committee would welcome an expression of opinion as to whether you consider it necessary that the aircraft should be furnished with a Certificate of Airworthiness granted by the Air Ministry, or whether the certificate should be issued by the constructing firm if the latter were on an approved Air Ministry list. It is desired to have evidence as to whether this alteration would lead to a cheapening in the cost of aircraft construction. (4) Air Ministry Notice No. 56, para. 12. Air Ministry Proposed Amendments, para. 4. The Committee desire to know whether it is considered necessary to have the examination referred to. Considera- tion should be given to the fact that a machine might not always operate from an aerodrome at which examination facilities are available. Should you support the view that a Certificate of Airworthiness should be granted by the constructing firm, your views would be appreciated on the subject of inspection of the aircraft thereafter. At the present time the ground engineer who inspects is licensed by and is responsible to the Air Ministry, to see that the standard of workmanship, etc., called for in the Certificate of Airworthi- ness is maintained thereafter. It has been suggested that if the constructing firm grant the Certificate of Airworthiness the subsequent inspection of the aircraft after a period of flying (say 50 hours) or storage, or after an aircraft is over- hauled or repaired or when any part of it has been replaced, could be carried out by the constructing firm's representative. (5) Prescribed Documents. Air Ministry Notice No. 56, Para. 13.—The Committee consider that 1, 2 and 3 are neces- sary. Your views are asked as to (1) whether the existing Journey Log Book should be retained or (2) whether it should be replaced in a simplified form, showing the hours flown, certified by the pilot, and (3) whether this document should remain in the custody of the owner or be carried on the aircraft. Investigation of Accidents. Air Ministry Proposed Amend- ments—Para. 6.—As regards private flying, the Committee suggest that the Royal Aero Club should receive a copy of the report on the accident, and have the right to nominate a representative to sit on the Investigation Committee. Please state your views. Insurance.—The Committee suggests that where machines are privately owned, the owner should be compelled by law to insure against Third Party Risks. Please state your views. The Committee would welcome an expression of your views on these memorandums as well as any further comments you may wish to put forward on the subject of Private Flying. It is the desire of the Committee to put forward to the Air Ministry such recommendations as will facilitate the develop- ment of private flying in its widest sense. It will greatly assist the Committee if your reply is sent in not later than the 17th inst. Air Ministry Memorandum Proposed Amendment of Regulations Governing Private Flying. 1. The Air Ministry have had under consideration as a result of various representations, the application of the Air Navigation Orders and Directions to private aircraft, i.e., aircraft not carrying passengers or goods for hire or reward. 2. This consideration has had in view more particularly the possibility of relaxing, in the interests of owners of private aircraft, the regulations with regard to the Certificate of Airworthiness of the aircraft, the Pilot's Licence and the investigation into aircraft accidents. 3. Certificate of Airworthiness.—By Article 11 of the Convention for the Regulation of Aerial Navigation (Paris, October 13, 1919) : " Every aircraft engaged in international navigation shall, in accordance with the conditions laid down in Annex B, be provided with a Certificate of Airworthiness issued or rendered valid by the State whose nationality it possesses " and the International Commission for Air Navigation, set up by the Convention, has been studying the international minimum standard conditions which an aircraft must satisfy before a Certificate of Airworthiness can be issued. It will be noted that under the Convention the obligation FKBRUARY 11, 1926 with regard to Certificates of Airworthiness only affects aircraft engaged in international navigation, but with the authority of Section 2 of the Air Navigation Act, 1920, the policy of the Air Ministry has been to forbid the flight of all aircraft not possessing a Certificate of Airworthiness, except (a) in the case of aircraft flown within three miles of an aerodrome for the purpose of experiment or test only, or (b) by special permission of the Secretary of State in writing, and the Air Navigation Orders have been drawn up accordingly It is possible to alter this policy by an amendment of the Air Navigation Orders and without any alteration of the Act so that the regulation applies only to aircraft carrying passengers or goods for hire or reward or engaged in inter- national navigation, and so that private aircraft flown in this country are exempted from the requirement to have a Certificate of Airworthiness. An amendment of the Order in this sense is under considera- tion by the Air Ministry. In connection with any discussion on the subject the advantages gained in the direction of encouraging an increase in private flying by this removal of administrative restrictions should be balanced against the possible effect that such a change might have both on the reputation for safety enjoyed by British aircraft at home and abroad, as a result of the high standards demanded before a Certificate of Airworthiness is granted and also on the insurance rates. Moreover, attention should be called to the possible increase in third party risks, and in this connection Section 9 (1) of the Air Navigation Act should not be forgotten by which proof of negligence is not required in the case of material damage or loss caused by an aircraft when in flight or on landing or taking off. 4. Examination before Flight.—As there is some mis- understanding on the subject it may be worth while placing on record here that aircraft not carrjang passengers or goods for hire or reward are not required by the Air Navigation Orders to be examined before flight by a certified ground engineer. As the directions stand at present, however, the regula- tion requires that when an aircraft is overhauled or repaired, or when any part of it has been replaced, it shall be examined and certified by a ground engineer before it flies again. The Air Ministry have under consideration the abolition of this regulation in so far as private aircraft are concerned. 5. Private Pilot's Licence.—Under Article 12 of the Inter- national Air Convention :— " The Commanding Officer, pilots, engineers and other members of the operating crew of every aircraft shall, in accordance with the conditions laid down in Annex E, be provided with certificates of competency and licences issued or rendered valid by the State whose nationality the aircraft possesses." It will be noted that whereas under the International Air Convention, certificates of airworthiness are only required for aircraft engaged m international navigation, all pilots and members of the operating crews, whether the aircraft on which they are employed are engaged in international navigation or not, must be provided with certificates of com- petency and licences. The minimum qualifications necessary for obtaining a Private Pilot's Licence are set out in detail in Annex E of the International Air Convention and are reproduced in the Air Navigation Regulations. These qualifications, as they are contained in an Annex to the Convention and not in the Articles of the Convention itself, can be amended from time to time by the International Commission. In this connection, on representations made by the Light Aero- plane Clubs, the British Delegation to the Commission are proposing that the altitude test which requires at present that " the pilot shall remain for at least an hour at a minimum altitude of 2,000 metres above the point of departure " shall be amended so as to read " the pilot shall attain a minimum altitude of 2,000 metres above the point of departure." This proposal will be discussed at the next meeting of the Com- mission to be held in Paris in April, and if adopted, the Air Navigation Directions will be amended accordingly. Apart from This, the Air Ministry are not proposing any amend- ments with regard to the conditions for the issue or renewal of a Private Pilot's Licence. It must be remembered that incompetency on the part of a pilot or ignorance of the rules of the air is a source of danger to other pilots and aircraft. With regard to the medical examination required in the case of private pilots, the minimum standards are laid down in Annex E of the Convention, but each contracting State is at liberty to fix its own methods of examination and to raise the conditions if it so desires. The international 82
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