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Aviation History
1938
1938 - 2063.PDF
ja.Y 2i, 1938- FLIGHT. " Flight " photograph. IN CAMP. The Oxford University Air Squadron believes in putting in as many individual cross-country flights as possible. In this photograph a member of the squadron is signing for his aircraft before starting off from Ford Aerodrome on a cross-country in a Hart Trainer. A report of the summer camp appears on page 69. a year or two ago. Fortunately, there is no material in motorless flying for potential makers of Roman holidays (though, doubtless, if the demand were created, there would arise pilots willing to fly sailplanes upside dowa with their heads in hay-bags). Gliding is a quiet, rather scientifically precise, specialised sport, and, if we except an occasional farmer in whose cornfield a long-distance pilot has landed, one which causes no annoyance to other people. It can easily be irreparably injured by popularisation. By this we do not mean that it is a snob-sport; it is far kinder to the slender purse than is power flying. The one thing to be feared would be the passing of its control into the hands of other than those admirable people who are running it at present. Any "regimentation" would be unthinkable. For this reason, and not unpatriotically, it is to be hoped that no sort of military enterprise will ever be wished on the move ment. In any case, other than by making people accus tomed to being in the air, it is questionable if soaring is of colossal value as power-aircraft training except in an afe initio sense. The fact that it sometimes works the other way, and that quite a number of Service pilots glide, is no proof to the contrary. •A notable feature of this year's Gliding Contests was the feet that the noteworthy performances were not confined 10 a handful of experts. Over 90 per cent, of the com petitors made good cross-country flights. Necessary Assistance D URING the past year or so Flight has often referred to the way in which the amount of flying carried out by club members has been steadily decreasing and has made it clear that something would, in due course, nave to be done about it if many of the clubs were to keep their heads above water. We have suggested that the reason for this decline cannot solely be explained as the effect of Reserve and Volunteer Reserve free flying oppor tunities. Nor can it be explained entirely by the quite considerable cost of post-graduate flying; this cost is probably lower now than it has ever been. An equally important reason is probably that insufficient incentive is given to club members once the initial and subsequent renewal subsidy has been obtained. The recent extension of the subsidy should have helped matters, but the improvement has certainly not been marked and in some cases has been un- noticeabie. Some time ago we learnt that the Air Ministry was con sidering a plan by which much greater financial assistance could be given to clubs for the use of those members who would offer their services in time of emergency and who were ready to put in a reasonable amount of flying every year. It was not expected that the service offered would be that of ferrying or other flying, but rather that these mem bers would be utilised for some form of ground assistance in which a reasonable knowledge of practical flying would be a distinct asset. When this suggestion was originally made the whole matter was very much under consideration and not by any means sufficiently certain to make a public announcement either necessary or advisable. Even now it would be premature to suggest any details of the scheme and nothing has yet been decided about the way in which the additional subsidy will be allocated. However, it is at least good to know that the clubs, which have been doing so much good • work during the past thirteen years, are not to be allowed, in some cases, to pass slowly and unhappilv out of existence.
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