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Aviation History
1937
1937 - 1317.PDF
AIRCRAFT ENGINEER AND AIRSHIPS FIRST AERONAUTICAL^WEEKLY IN THE^WORLD « FOUND, ED WOO Editor C M. POULSEN Managing Editor GEOFFREY SMITH Chief Photographet JOHN YOXALL Editorial, Advertising and Publishing Offices >. DORSET HOUSE, STAMFORD STREET, LONDON, S.E.1 ; Telegrams : Truditnr, Sediit, London. Telephone : Waterloo 3333 (SO linn). HERTFORD ST., COVENTRY. Telegrams : Autocar, Coventry. Telephone: Coventry 5210. GUILDHALL BUILDINGS, NAVIGATION ST., BIRMINGHAM. 2. Telegrams: Autopress, Birmingham. Telephone: Midland 2971. 260. DEANSGATB, MANCHESTER, 3. Telegrams: lliffe, Manchester. Telephone: Blackfriars 4412. 2fiB, RENPIELD ST., GLASGOW, 0.2. Telegrams: Iliffe, Glasgow. Telephone: Central 4857. SUBSCRIPTION RATES: Home ami Canada: Other Countries: Year, £1 Year, £1 13 0. 16 0. 6 months, 16s. 6d. 6 months, 18s. Od. 3 months. 8s. tut. 3 months, 0s. Od. No. 1482. Vol. XXXI. MAY 20, 1937. Thursdays, Price 6d. 1 ? - P, aris THE attitude of Flight towards the much-discussed New York—Paris air race is well known. Origin ally intended to commemorate Lindbergh's solo flight to Paris, the change of the date from May to August meant that the event would not take place on the tenth anniversary of Lindbergh's flight, and the fact that competitors may choose any time during August for their start changes the affair from a race into a contest. As a result, the Lindbergh Memorial Race has become a complete misnomer. As long ago as last January, at the annual meeting of the American Institute of the Aeronautical Sciences, Mr. James H. Kimball, better and affectionately known as "Doc" Kimball, of the U.S. Weather Bureau, uttered a warning against the holding of the contest. Among other things he pointed out that the starting com mittee must make its weather analysis from reports re ceived from some ten vessels, only one or two of which are likely to be within ioo miles of the great-circle course, and this information will refer to surface conditions ; it will tell nothing of the conditions at the heights at which most of the competitors will be flying. ." Doc "Kimball suggested that the smallest meteoro logical organisation which could be tolerated would con sist of ten vessels placed equidistantly from shore to shore, ;each carrying a meteorological unit equipped with pilot balloons, radio-meteorographs and seaplanes for bring ing in reports on temperature and humidity in the upper .air. Wireless for collecting this material and making it available to the starting committee would also be needed. '"But," Mr. Kimball said, "given the possibility of satis factory functioning of this system on the day of the take off, is it reasonable to expect it to operate, say,twice daily from July 25 until the last contestant takes off? " It should be remembered that " Doc " Kimball has advised all the pilots on previous Atlantic flights and thus his opinions carry the greatest possible weight. At the best, all twenty-two machines may get across safely. What will that prove? At the worst, many valu able lives may be lost, the general public in all countries will draw needlessly pessimistic conclusions, and liners will be diverted, at great cost, from their regular routes to look for aircraft reported down on the sea. The American National Aeronautic Association has been entrusted with the organisation of the start. After studying the matter the N.A.A. expressed grave doubts concerning the advisability of holding the contest, and now the U.S. Government has definitely stated that the Department of Commerce will refuse to issue licences. For the present the matter seems to have reached the stage so admirably summed-up in the current American phrase "So what?" Without the sanction of the American Government the race cannot start from Ameri can soil. There has been some talk of transferring the start to a Canadian aerodrome, but the Canadian Government may be no more enthusiastic than the American, and in any case a meeting of the F.A.I, would probably be required to alter the regulations. The next meeting of the F.A.I, is to be held in London in June. Even if the necessary agreement could be reached at that meeting the time factor has to be taken into account. On the other hand, a number of individuals have spent a good deal of money on getting machines for the con test, and in case of postponement or cancellation they would have a legitimate complaint. France could, and doubtless would, reply that she was sorry, but that she was powerless to do anything, her prize offer still stand ing but the take-off point having suddenly been removed by an agency over which she had no control. Alto gether the position is, from a legal standpoint, thor oughly muddled and not without its humorous side. If all the entrants institute proceedings, one can visualise a sort of repetition of the war debt vicious circle. An entrant may sue the national aero club through which he entered a machine. The club may sue the French Aero Club, which in turn may sue the French air minis try, which may "pass the buck" to the. American Government. Certainly a good time should be had by all.
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