FlightGlobal.com
Home
Premium
Archive
Video
Images
Forum
Atlas
Blogs
Jobs
Shop
RSS
Email Newsletters
You are in:
Home
Aviation History
1931
1931 - 0430.PDF
FLIGHT, MAY 8, 1931 the hare in a measured contest and had thus estab- lished its right to be the dependable messenger. So .the tortoise was sent, and the rest was silence. Of course, the moral is that Imperial Airways is the tortoise and the speedy fliers are the hare. The Advertiser then turns to a consideration of the break- down of Imperial Airways' flying-boat service on the Khartum-M'wanza section of the route, and asks where is the reliability which Imperial Airways holds out as its chief asset in default of greater speed ? Here the Mercury joins forces with the Advertiser. Both papers are agreed that Imperial Airways ought not to have broken down. The Advertiser concludes with the remark: '' There may still be something to be said for the tortoise as against the hare when all goes well. But what about when the tortoise goes sick? " That is certainly a telling point, but it suggests the further query, " What about when the hare breaks down ? " A number of fast-flying pilots have got through, but how many of these pilots have failed to get through at all or in reasonable time ? Stack and Chaplin, both very experienced pilots, have set out twice to break the record to Australia, and twice have had to come back. Scott's story of his dash to Australia showed that on more than one occasion he was within a mere ace of wrecking his machine and perhaps himself. Does real good luck in bringing off a blind landing on a flooded aero- drome on a dark night qualify the hare to claim greater reliability than the tortoise ? " Stunt " flights really prove nothing so long as they owe any- thing to luck. Air transport must be based on good organisation. That, too, will sometimes break down, in the case of steamers and trains as well as aero- planes. The risk which Imperial Airways took was in opening a new service when they were short of aircraft. It was not altogether their fault that they were short. Some of the machines which they had ordered were late in delivery. Had they decided to postpone the opening of the new service until their new fleet was ready, they would have laid themselves open to just as severe criticism as the)' have met by starting oft and breaking down. There was no ques- tion of risk to life in making the attempt to run on an exiguous fleet, and so one cannot seriously blame them for having taken that amount of risk. The failure, and the consequent diatribes of the South African papers are the forfeit which had to be staked. Frankly, the loss of the forfeit arouses our sym- pathy ; especially as it has been followed by a very mysterious loss of a " Hercules '' in Timor and of an " Argosy " when a new pilot was going through his tests at Croydon. To return to the fable of the hare and the tortoise. Confusion of thought has arisen, as we foresaw that it would arise, by not placing passenger services and air mails in separate categories. The successful (though sometimes lucky) rapid flights have had as their object the acceleration of air mails. Imperial Airways, under their present subsidy contract, are obliged to carry both mails and passengers. As the firm naturally desires to earn dividends, and as the taxpayers who provide the subsidy expect them to pay their way and to dispense with a subsidy as early as possible, one cannot seriously expect the company to embark on specially rapid mail services under their present contract. The pace of an army is the pace of its slowest unit. So it is with aircraft AM IndianAir Force cargoes. Passengers cannot be hurried across con- tinents by day and night at the pace which would be reasonable for a special mail-plane. The publication by the Air Ministry of specifica- tions for a special mail-plane has, as we have re- marked before, ushered in a new era. Doubtless a new contract with Imperial Airways will be neces- sary to provide for the trying-out of the new class of aeroplane when it makes its appearance. When that time comes, we shall expect to see the experience of Imperial Airways in organising air services brought into play so as to produce a really fast and reliable mail service. With relays of pilots and machines, the element of luck and the element of personal hardihood, on which some of the stunt pilots have had very largely to rely, should both be reduced to a minimum. We shall then expect the speed, not merely of the hare, but of the greyhound, the ostrich, the hunting leopard, to be combined with the reliability of the tortoise. Mr. Wedgwood Benn, Secretary of State for India, in reply to a question in the House of Commons the other day, said that he was engaged in consultation with the Air Minister and the Government of India in working out details of a new Indian ^|r ForC6) and ne hoped that it would bg definitely instituted before long. Headded that it would be distinct from the Indian Army. To this the Simla correspondent of The Times has added the information that a nucleus may be established by the autumn of 1933 ; that it will probably start with one flight and headquarters, which would gradually be increased to a full .squad- ron ; that at first the CO. and one other officer will be British, but that the remaining officers will be Indians trained at Cranwell. The ground staff will be recruited from apprentices employed by the State railways. As we have stated before, we shall regard this scheme with approval when it has proved itself a success. Unless the greatest judgment is exercised, there are many possibilities of the result being the reverse of a success. That a sufficient number of good Indian pilots can be found there is not the slightest doubt. The flying clubs of India have trained men who have shown themselves able to fly from India to England. Cranwell training will surely produce even better results. We remember, too, the fine exploits of at least three Indians who were officers of the R.F.C. during the war. It is of the Indian mechanics that we have our misgivings. In our opinion, European inspection will always be a necessity. Presumably, it is inevitable that the Indian Air Force should be started as a separate Service, not as a part of the Indian Army. The wisdom of the policy is, perhaps, questionable. At present the defence of the Indian coast line is a function of the Royal Navy ; that of the northern frontiers concerns the Army* in India under the Commander-in-Chief. Until aircraft are developed to a pitch which has not yet been reached, the Air Force can hardly relieve the Army of that responsibility. Therefore it would seem wiser for the time being to place all flying units under the Commander-in-Chief. This is less easy if they belong to a separate Service. 398
Sign up to
Flight Digital Magazine
Flight Print Magazine
Airline Business Magazine
E-newsletters
RSS
Events
