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Aviation History
1930
UNTITLED0 - 0010.PDF
FLIGHT, JANUARY 3, 1930 ABOUT OURSELVES TWENTY-ONE YEARS ago FLIGHT made its bow to theworld with a modest 16 pages of editorial matter andsix pages of advertisements. At that date, looking back, it required quite a modicum of aeronautical enthusiasmto embark, in the words of several of the friends of the founder, upon so lunatic a venture. Bedlam or Colney Hatchwere even mentioned solto voce. But in spite of adverse criticism it was decided to take the plunge and thus was FLIGHT born on January 2, 1909. As a fact, some eightnumbers under that title had appeared for the previous eight weeks for the purpose of securing the Copyright in the title(at that date the law of Copyright had not got down to the " Id. right " stage), which title .again was, amongst one'sfriendly critics, a title greatly to be deplored. Why not ." The Age of Flight," and a dozen variations thereon ? Buthere there was again no wavering. FLIGHT it was and FLIGHTit was to remain. And from that day, through the vears of missionary work, no sign of pessimism was in evidence withits founder, who pinned his faith to the opinion that with the dawn of the conquest of the air, the world was eventually tosee the greatest revolution in progress the world had ever known. And that opinion still holds good.In this connection, his faith in persevering was helped by a short note of encouragement from the late Lord Northcliffe,that wonderful Aladdin of the journalistic world, in which he spontaneously stated that he could not refrain from offeringhis congratulations to the Editor upon the valuable work which FLIGHT had done, without which, he stated, aviationwould have been much more backward in its progress than was the case.All this optimism, however, would have been but drifting air had it not been for those who helped to maintain the interestof the subject week by week and year by year. The Editor has been supremely fortunate in enlisting the work andenthusiasm of those who helped to that end, and it is entirely due to the whole-hearted work and judgment of the EditorialStaff of FLIGHT, and those responsible for the commercialside of the undertaking, that the little baby has been enabled to emerge from its childhood and weather the many lean andtrying years which it was necessary, in the earlier days, to overcome. It has been the sound, unbiased judgment of theStaff in the handling of Editorial matter from week to week that has enabled FLIGHT to have attained its present leadingposition and world-wide reputation for accuracy and helpful information. And to them, on behalf of the founder andof our host of readers, most grateful thanks are offered. That an occasional slip may have crept in goes withoutsaying, but it has always been rather a pleasant, than an objectionable task to correct any such error, having in viewthe close interest taken by our readers which thereby was evidenced.Incidentally, prior to the founding of FLIGHT in 1909, trackof all matters aeronautical had, for many years, been kept in our contemporary and sister journal The Automotor Journal.It was only when the promise of practical progress in mecha- nical flight appeared to be at last in view that the subjectwas deemed worthy of a separate organ to voice its needs. Perhaps it is not out of place to quote here the first Editorialparagraph of No. 1 of FLIGHT, in this connection :—• " It is not as a youthful stranger—entirely unknown tothe aeronautical world—that we seek to introduce ourselves to everyone who is taking a special interest in mechanicalflight; but rather as the dutiful offspring of a journal which has, for long, earned the esteem of the same public, thatwe hope to make a successful appeal for FLIGHT today.Up to the present time, when our own advent upon.the scenes has synchronised almost exactly with the birth of anew era for humanity—the flying age—the pre-natal interests of the great industry, which is, from now onwards,to be our special charge, have been cared for, and the way prepared, by The Automotor Journal. That parentjournal has for many years assiduously chronicled all the early stages which have of late culminated so satis-factorily in the conquest of the air. But it now devolves on us, as a new-oomer, to take up the running in columnsof our own ; since the time has undoubtedly arrived when the aeronautical movement can no longer be dependenton an automobile foster parent, however honoured that parent may be. It, is, then, our firm determination toestablish the same lofty traditions for FLIGHT that haveever guided the editorial pen of The Automotor Journal in the automobile sphere, our chief aims and objects beingever to throw our full weight on the side of all that seems to us to make for the highest permanent good of theaeronautic industry, to pursue a policy of entire indepen- dence, and to render our pages 'as interesting, concise andaccurately instructive as lies without our powers." We have always endeavoured to carry out these views,and it is for our present-day readers to say if we have lived up to the promise given at our birth.It is with pleasure we record that FLIGHT, at the invitationof the Committee of the Royal Aero Club, from the first, was accorded the honour of being the Club's official organ, andat its completion of its 21st year, it still so remains, without a break.May I here offer in advance my thanks and appreciation to those friends who, through the Royal AeronauticalSociety, have seen fit to mark FLIGHT'S coming t>fage by arranging a dinner at the Savoy Hotel on Friday, January 3, to celebrate our 21st anniversary,to which they have bidden me as Founder and Editor. This great compliment I have gladly accepted as an honour thuspaid through me to FLIGHT as a whole and the entire staff,who have enabled the high character of the paper to be maintained throughout its career. And on their behalfmy grateful thanks are offered for that appreciation. In conclusion, I would also thank the thousands of readerswho have, through FLIGHT'S pages, kept in touch with usand the great aviation movement. It is their ever increasing support which encourages us to continue and press forwardto greater efforts to deserve their confidence and continued backing. May that intimate association continue and lastfor many years to come. And now, with best wishes to all our readers for a Happyand Prosperous New Year, and our sincere thanks for the Jiuge sheaf of Birthday Messages to hand, let these latter andothers convey their thoughts upon FLIGHT'S past and theprogress made during its twenty-one years of existence. Ourselves. 10
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