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Aviation History
1927
1927 - 0247.PDF
APRIL 14, 1927 PR1VA7 FLYING A Section of FLIGHT in the Interests of the Private Owner, Owner-Pilot, and Club Member HOW TO BECOME A PILOT By Joining a Light 'Plane Club TO-DAY we have definitely arrived at the dawn of a new erain aeronautics—private flying. Each week almost come evidences of a growing interest in this new sphere which,perhaps, offers the widest scope for the development of the aeroplane. It is being taken up as a sport and as a seriousform of travel. It is attracting the old and the young. Women are amongst its most enthusiastic and successfuldevotees. Their example, in fact, is giving momentum to the swing of the pendulum. It began with the formation of thesix subsidised light-aeroplane clubs and from their pioneer work has sprung the small army of private pilots and privateowners. There are twenty-four private owner-pilots in Great Britain to-day, and two of them are women. They ownand fly their machines as naturally as others own and run their cars. Two owner-pilots have done more than this ;they have flown to India with no other preparations than the packing of a travelling bag. Every fine week-end the clubscannot cope with the demands of their members. Their waiting lists of potential private pilots have sometimes to beclosed. On fine Sundays they put up nearly as many hours in the air as there are in a day. As an instance we have therecord of the London Club for one day's flying which amounts to 22 hrs. 45 mins. Till now these six clubs have been thelimited centres for private flying, and consequently there has been a vast number of inactive enthusiasts. But these areshortly going to be served by the growing formations of other clubs springing up regularly in various parts of the countryat their own expense. Without any subsidy their fine efforts are meeting with many financial difficulties, which hasrevealed a sound public spirit and generosity towards their ideals in local citizens, who, in some cases, have immediatelyprovided the means for the purchasing of a machine or two. To name just a few of these clubs that are in various butdefinite stages of progress there are Norwich, Bristol, East Kent, Brighton and another in Scotland. Interesting sugges-tions that may probably mature have been made at Plymouth, Liverpool, Leicester, Nottingham and Swindon. This showsthe concrete activity and potential activity in the movement and gives one a vision of what will inevitably evolve. Now this new section of FLIGHT will be exclusively devoted [" FLIGHT " Photograph IP INTO THE SUNSHINE : This aerial view of Swindon, taken from a D.H. " Moth," clearly illus--"tes the [advantages of flying above the smoke and fog hanging over a town, instead of having to go through it as the more earthbound have to do. 221
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