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Aviation History
1931
1931 - 0030.PDF
FLIGHT. JANUARY 9, 1931 Secondly, there is the wider question of whether tests for" B " or " A " licences are really necessary at all. On the first of these points a good deal of criticism hasbeen levelled, and justifiably levelled, against the Air Ministry. The present regulations necessitate the technicaland medical examinations being taken in London, while the flying tests are done at three separate aerodromes in theSouth of England—or were, at any rate, in the case referred to above. Obviously, such an arrangement involves very-great inconvenience and expense to a provincial candidate. If the Air Ministry is to be the examining authority, it isessential that travelling boards or provincial examination centres should be created, as is the practice for groundengineers' licences. Here, however, it is well to consider whether the AirMinistry should in future be the examining authority at all, or whether that task might not very well be handed over inthe near future to the Guild of Air Pilots and Air Navigators as representative body. The Guild already counts in itsmembership most of the experienced professional pilots and navigators of our country. One would like to see a jointcommittee of the Air Ministry and the Guild set up to consider and revise the " B " licence tests. Thereafter(unless there are any international considerations to prevent it) one would like to see the Guild take over the position ofexamining authority (receiving the proper fees for the same) with the Air Ministry as the controlling authority, to whomevery pilot would have a right of appeal in suitable cases. Other honourable professions and callings afford ampleprecedent for such a procedure, and the sooner the step is taken the better. Who should conduct the medical tests is another matter,for the members of the medical board, by reason of their accumulated experience, are exceptionally fitted for this work.Much depends upon whether the present stringent medical tests are to be maintained. Normal flying in good weatherinvolves far less physical and mental strain than driving a car. Certain types of flying on the other hand, such asiong distanceor high altitude work, may impose heavy physical strains, while blind flying for example may impose heavy nervousstrains. As the air line pilot cannot pick his route or weather, he must be fit to withstand all such strains, though the samedoes not necessarily hold good in all types of commercial flying. The grading of pilots as fit for certain types of flyingmight be standardised perhaps, if it is thought necessary to retain the present system indefinitely. On the whole, how-ever, the Air Ministry is at present the best body to determine what medical tests shall be applied. In urging that the Guild should be entrusted with examin-ing authority the writer does not overlook the somewhat curious criticism levelled against it recently by The Aeroplanewhich was afraid that the Guild was becoming " a trades union, rather than a body of gentlemen adventurers " !Presumably the Guild is, and will very properly be, a trades union in the same sense that the Bar Council or the BritishMedical Association are Trades Unions, but there is nothing derogatory in that. The Guild is vitally concerned with therights, status and reputation of commercial pilots and navigators of British nationality. Hence the recommen-dations in this article, but it follows from what has just been stated that the Guild is not the proper authority, even in aconsultative capacity, on " A " licence tests or, to be more accurate, on amateur and sporting flying. The proper bodyhere is the Royal Aero Club, with the General Council of Light Aeroplane Clubs. The relative positions of the R. Ae. C. andthe G.A.P.A.N. are a matter of some importance, and may become increasingly so. They will be made the subject ofa separate article next month. Proposals have now been laid down for the revision andimprovement of both " A " and " B " licence tests. Thc Elevator (or FLIGHT.—Ed.), alone cannot force these pro-posals to an issue, but as it is read by members of all the three bodies above referred to, it may possibly be themeans of bringing the various points up for discussion and decision. There is one other matter which must be considered, andthat is the necessity or otherwise for any licence tests at all. The answer to this question depends on the future status of theair pilot. Is he, as some think, going to rank with the taxi- driver, or is he to go to the other extreme, going to be " agentleman adventurer " ? Personally one believes that he will be neither, but that the commercial pilot will have astatus similar to that of a Mercantile Marine Officer, while the private owner's position will be akin to that of the privateyacht owner. Surely it cannot be otherwise, for the sea and the air are both elemental things, the fight with which tendsto produce essentially the same type of man in the long run. Indeed, the Guild itself has probably recognised this fact inmodeljiftgjits constitution upon that of the master mariners. If this-view is correct, there can be no doubt that examina-tions for commercial pilots should remain. Furthermore, through the I.C.A.N., or other appropriate body, commercialpilots' licences should be made valid internationally, while appropriate steps should be taken to ensure that a British" B " licence and Master Pilot's licence shall both enjoy the highest international repute.As regards amateur pilots it might be argued by analogy that no tests should be required, since no tests are requiredof the amateur yachtsman. The analogy, however, is false in this respect—that the perils of collision in the air are on theincrease and that the consequences are more certainly disas- trous by air than by sea, when a small yacht is unlikelyto sink a large passenger vessel. Tests alone would not obviate the danger, but a licence or F.A.I, certificate could and doesrender amateur pilots liable to a salutary discipline exercised by people with a knowledge of aviation, as distinct from laymagistrates with no such knowledge. To sum up, tests and licences are desirable in both cases.The details should, if possible, be agreed internationally in consultation with the representative national bodies con-cerned, and such bodies should subsequently act as examin- ing authorities with the Air Ministry as controlling andappeal authority. Since Government control however, nearly always means a multiplicity of regulations, it should belimited to the minimum necessary to ensure that the powers and duties entrusted to the representative bodies are not inany way abused. If matters could be settled on these lines the risk of petty and unnecessary restrictions would belargely avoided and such restrictions and discipline as were imposed would be administered by those to whom the rightsand prestige of British pilots are of paramount importance. There is no reason to fear that under such conditions theinternational repute of British pilots and navigators would not rank as high as that of British seamanship. A GIPSY FLIGHT: As reported in " FLIGHT " December 12, Mr. J. E. Van Tyen, a member of the well-known firm of Van Houten, recently flew from Holland to the Dutch East Indies in a Pander. The view above shows this machine during construction. *»:- - 32 . . ' '"-• •
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