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Aviation History
1959
1959 - 0328.PDF
30 January 1959 157 The Future of British Private Flying WHICH COURSE TO TAKE? By DAVID B. BROWN IN a community that lies beneath a complex pattern of con-trolled and crowded airspace there are two ways of dealingwith the desire to fly light aeroplanes. One is to strangle itwithout delay and the other is to encourage its development, on a solid foundation of common sense and mutual understanding,towards two main objectives. These are, first, that its supporters should not constitute a menace either to themselves or to others;and second, that the nation as a whole may benefit from the undoubted advantages offered by a* widespread enthusiasm forprivate flying. For a time it seemed that in this country the former course wasbeing adopted and the outlook for private flying enthusiasts was gloomy indeed. Now, however, a Joint Standing Committee hasbeen appointed to consider the well-being of the movement and there are prospects of new aircraft, new equipment and a centrefor private flying; so it appears that the second alternative may be tried. Many problems remain, nevertheless, and this may be an appro-priate time to consider how these can be solved so that the twin objectives of this new policy can be fully achieved. For one pointis clear: there is no room for half-measures and continued in- decision. This can result not only in the extermination of privateflying but also in the very real possibility of serious accidents in the process, because it is not easy to maintain a safe standard offlying where a state of uncertainty and semi-persecution exists. As a result of the diligent efforts of the various organizationsand instructors responsible, the standard of flying at the majority of clubs and groups is high at the moment, despite past un-certainty and bitter disappointments. But there are still a number of black sheep to be eliminated; these are the odd men out who,once having obtained a licence, manage to evade any form of thorough subsequent check and allow their flying standards tosuffer progressively until their aerial activities are cut short by court proceedings (or a coroner's inquest), thus getting the wholemovement a bad name. Furthermore, maintenance of the generally high instructional standard must be assured despite the fact thatthe supply of Service-trained instructors will dwindle to a mere trickle. Only when these objectives have been achieved canprivate flying prove itself worthy of official encouragement. There is, however, an even greater problem—the general atti-tude to the private flying movement, the failure to recognize its potentialities and the reluctance to grant it any but the mostgrudging encouragement. Doubtless this is partially due to the fact that the movement itself seems to be uncertain of what itreally does want. One can hardly blame a Ministry already beset by a multitude of headaches (involved in quick changes from lorrydriver's cap to pilot's helmet) if it can find scant sympathy for a bunch of enthusiasts who cannot establish a common basis ofagreement as to their own requirements. One faction claims that as powered private flying is almost dead we must encouragegliding; another quotes the subsidies bestowed by other countries; while yet another states that financial aid is not required and that,if granted, it is usually wasted. Small wonder that official encour- agement is half-hearted and that official reaction to these con-flicting demands is a suggestion that private flying must realize it is simply up against the hard facts of life. Value of the Movement Let us, therefore, examine this question of the value of themovement before considering the methods by which a safe general standard of flying can be maintained. Once these first principleshave been clearly established the remaining problems—new British aircraft and equipment, financial aid and general encour-agement—become relative matters of common sense, capable of reasonable discussion by the Joint Standing Committee, ratherthan hesitant and conflicting pleas for mercy drowned by the hollow laugh of officialdom. Before the value of the movement can be fairly established onepoint deserves particular emphasis. This is simply the description of the movement itself. "Private" flying is too inhibited, toolikely to give the impression of a handful of well-endowed enthu- siasts supplemented by a few half-starved fanatics eager to flyrather than eat. If the movement is to become widespread, and if its supporters are to deserve respect and support, it must be madeabundantly clear that this pastime is not private in any restrictive sense, but is a wide-open source of popular enjoyment that canand should be made available to all. We already have Popular Plying Groups which display a keen desire to fly without eitherconsiderable means or fanaticism. Surely it is time to christen this whole enterprise—flying clubs, gliding clubs, groups and private owners—the Popular Flying Movement and renounce anyhint of privacy except, perhaps, to distinguish the private pilot from his professional counterpart.Now as to the advantages. To begin with one of the most significant items of all, a healthy popular flying movement wouldpromote a measure of practical airmindedness throughout the community upon a scale hitherto unknown in this country. Asa nation we are naturally insular and little-minded as far as overseas travel is concerned. Whereas a journey of 200 milesnorthward from London is thought of as a simple matter of a few hours by train or car, a southward journey of similar length stillraises problems of sea voyages, Customs and currency difficulties, with all the delay and annoyance that these entail. Only now—after the aeroplane has been with us for fifty years—are we as a nation beginning to resort to the air to break down a few of thetime-honoured barriers. As a result our knowledge of other countries is still sadly lacking compared with their knowledge ofours. In particular, our efforts in the export field are still hindered by ignorance and subconscious dislike of foreign methods andrequirements, while our general attitude towards flying itself is still one of slight wonderment coupled with strict non-participa-tion except, perhaps, as rather apprehensive passengers. If this seems an exaggeration then a glance at the way in whichaeronautical matters are reported in the popular Press should be sufficient to establish that, if anything, it is an understatement.That this should be so of a country that originated the Spitfire and the successful jet engine, that pioneered the first civil jet ageand found the courage to herald the second, is surprising to say the least. That it should be so of a community that owes its veryexistence as a free nation to the outcome of an aerial battle is well-nigh unbelievable. Towards Wider Horizons Practical airmindedness means more than a large crowd at Farn-borough or a boom in air travel for Continental holidays. It means that a large and ever-growing number of ordinary people mustgradually become familiar with aeroplanes and the air in which they fly. They will learn to view more sympathetically the prac-tical problems of aviation that require their co-operation and tolerance, and they will be both capable and willing to guide andencourage their children—the pilots, designers and constructors of tomorrow's aeroplanes—in the ways of the air. And last, butby no means least, they will begin to fly themselves and their families to the Continent and to regard such journeys as of noparticular consequence. It is not the length of these trips that matters, nor the destinations: it is the attitude of mind that suchflights engender—a breaking-down of barriers and inhibitions, a widening of horizons and a restoration of balance to our lopsidedsense of time and distance. Much has already been said and written about two furtheradvantages: the re-birth of a flourishing light-aircraft industry, producing not only aeroplanes for pleasure flying but also execu-tive-type aircraft to meet the logical increase in business flying, and the provision of better facilities for ab initio training of com-mercial pilots. There are in addition two more benefits which so far do not seem to have attracted their fair share of publicity.The past year has seen much in the way of heart-searching throughout the aircraft industry, with economy as the goal. Pre-sumably the lists of afterthought modifications to production aircraft came in for their share of close scrutiny. Perhaps itoccurred to the financial wizards engaged upon these studies that a number of hasty and expensive grabs for the stable door couldhave been avoided if only more designers and draughtsmen could call upon the cold logic of practical flying experience.This point, of course, is relative: a few hours' experience in a light aircraft will not be of much direct help in the design ofa supersonic airliner. But even the faintest suggestion of practical experience would go far towards eliminating the tendency todesign for ten-handed aircrew, or to dream up hasty modifications that look simply wonderful on paper but just will not work in theair. Surely it is obvious that both time and money would be saved if more of these earthbound experts were encouraged to learn tofly themselves. At the moment by no means all the aircraft manufacturers have their own works flying clubs, and certainlynot all the sub-contractors. Even where such clubs do exist and flourish, their members constitute only a fraction of those whowould fly-^-even be shamed into flying—if the nation as a whole were practically airminded. The second of these two advantages offers no financial rewardbut a considerable degree of moral significance. We have ample
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