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Aviation History
1931
1931 - 1089.PDF
FLIGHT, OCTOBKR 9, 1931 THE INTERNATIONAL GLIDING COMMISSION s—mr-^HE International Commission for the Study of\~\ III Motorless Flight met for their first general meet- III ing in London last Thursday, October 1. Theopening meeting was held at the headquarters of the Royal Aeronautical Society, and was opened by Lord Amulree, Secretary of State for Air. LORD AMULREE, in his introductory speech, told theassembly that the aim of the Commission was to secure international co-operation in scientific, technical, aero-nautical and administrative questions which would ensure the better progress and greater mutual benefit of those inthe movement. He believed, he added, that gliding made a very definite contribution to the general progress ofaviation and certain branches of technical research, and that it would help to popularise flying. In conclusion, hehoped that the deliberations of the Commission would lead to a strengthening of the bonds of international friendshipwhich were already so strong in the aviation world. Later a luncheon was given in honour of the delegatesat the Comedy Restaurant, Panton Street, S.W., at which Lt. Col. Shelmerdine, the Director of Civil Aviation andPresident of the British Gliding Association, presided. COL. SHELMERDINE proposed the toast of the Commis-sion, and, in doing so, he said that we in this country owed a debt of gratitude to Dr. Georgii and all his compatriotsfor the immense amount of help which they gave us when we were resuscitating the gliding movement in this countrytwo years ago. We had had, he said, no assistance from the Government, and apart from the munificent gift ofLord Wakefield, we had had to stand on our own feet. Gliding, Col. Shelmerdine said, was of great service to thetechnical and scientific side of aviation, and also of value in the training of pilots for motor-driven aircraft, as hefelt certain that the time of their training could materially be reduced if they had first had gliding experience. In con-clusion, Col. Shelmerdine asked everyone to drink to the health of the delegates, who included representatives fromBelgium, Denmark, Italy, France, Germany, Greece, Holland, Hungary, the U.S.A. and Great Britain. COL. THE MASTER OF SEMPILL, in supporting the toast,said that this was the first general meeting of the Com- mission, and that there were now 20 countries activelyinterested in the gliding movement. To emphasise the strength which Germany had given to the whole science of A PRUFLING: Mr. Gibbons of the London Gliding Club manages a long flight in the Club's Pruning in spite of the light wind. (FLIGHT Photo.) motorless flight, Col. Sempill pointed out that of the 500 orso " C " licences which had been issued for soaring pilots some 450 were for Germans. DR. GEORGII, of Germany, the President of the Commis-sion, replied first in excellent English and then later in German. He expressed his thanks for the welcome the dele-gates had received and remembered with pleasure the last time he had come over, about 1J years ago, when he hadinspected sites in the Chiltern Hills for the B.G.A. A great advance had now been made, he said, and he hoped thatit would be borne in mind that the real reason of the Com- mission's deliberations was to further the practical andflying side of gliding. It was therefore with great pleasure OUR VISITORS: A group including some of our foreign visitors at Balsdean. (L. to R.) Mr. AshwellCooke, of the London Gliding Club; Major Massaux (Belgium); Mr. W. Von Hemert (Holland) ; Herr Helbig (Germany); Herr Hirth (Germany); Mr. Lawrence Wingfield ; Dr. Georgii (President of the Com-mission), and Mrs. Lawrence Wingfield. Standing on the extreme right is Mr. Waplington, the hard working Secretary of the B.G.A. (FLIGHT Photo.) 1019
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