THE CHINA MAIL, THURSDAY, OCTOBER 4, 1934
WHY THE APPEAL OF BEING OWNER PILOT WILL BE LIMITED
ENGLAND TO
AUSTRALIA IN
FOUR DAYS
POSSIBILITIES OF GREAT AIR RACE
COMPETITORS TO FLY BY NIGHT
who!
The Duke of Gloucester, has set out for Melbourne, in or der to be present at the Centen- ary Celebrations, will in all pro- bability witness the finish of the greatest international air Face ever organised.
This race will start from Eng-i land early on October 20, from Mildenhall.
It is quite possible that tha winner will arrive at Melbourno before mid-night of October 23. although such an amazing per formance as reaching Australia' in four days would require fav- ourable conditions and no incl. dental ill-luck.
final two stages
is London miles).
Wiley Post, the famous Ameri
can airman who has withdrawn his chiry from the England-Australia air race this month.
INLAND AIR MAIL INCREASE
Drawbacks To Its Success
POPULAR WITH PASSENGERS
"PLANES ARE SHIPS
NOT CARS
CLUE TO THE FUTURE OF PRIVATE FLYING
COMMERCIAL AVIATION SAFETY
THE
(By WILLIAM COURTENAY)
HE custom, now sanctified by time, asserting fiercely that fly- ing is safe has its advantages. But it also has drawbacks: the partial elimination of common sense from argument on the subject is one of them.
A report on the progress of civil aviation in 1933 has just been issued. That makes the present a good time to re-examine, without prejudice or heat, the question of safety in the air.
M. Bleriot, on the 25th anniversary celebrations of his Chan- nel flight, said: "The aeroplane is a skip, not a motor-car."
In Bieriot's statement lies a clue to the future of private flying.
The flying of an aeroplane here that the next generation will across country involves naviga- Jimprove on those who have lived They tion. The pilot must be skilled through the ploneer years. not only in the handling of the will use air transport as passen- machine but in the use of the gers.
To
There are
Competitors may y both by night and by day, but there are At the end of the first fortnight five compulsory landing places operation Britain's inland air mail compass and of air maps, Engine failure in passenger ma before Melbourne is reached. The services, although at present drive a motorcar you need not
chines is extremely rare already, come to 2,176 carrying what is admittedly know these things. miles. The first and longest stage small volume of mails, show a signbposts, A.A. men and pasand becomes rarer every day. There Also in panic or are pilots in the R.A.F., for in- to Baghdad (2,553 light but definite increase. At sing yokels.
stance, who have flown 100 hours the same time, the services have despair you can stop.
extraordinarily popular There is one other factor which in their five years' service and who jhave never even had the useful ex- makes the difference between driv-
perience of a forced landing through engine failure; and there jare civil pilots of our air lines who have gone through many years at their job without one.
200 M.P.H. Cruising Speed Some of the machines entered
been with passengers.
The London to Glasgow service ing a car and piloting an airplane in the Speed Division (to be flown may be taken as typical of the mailjstill more marked. concurrently with the Handicap figures on the various other links. Division), which takes the lion's On the inaugural day, of the share of the total of £15,000 prizò164lb. of mai) carried by the north- money (the Arst prize is £10,000), bound 'plane which left Croydon, are capable of cruising speeds in 641b, were for Glasgow. The next the neighbourhood of 200 per hour.
Then, air liners are multi-engin-
George Pond (left) and Cesare Sabelll, the American airmen who recently flew from New York to Rome, made the return, trip by
air with Ireland as a scheduled stop.
MORE PLANES FOR NAVY
MELBOURNE AIR RACE CHANGES POSTED
Announced
The air pilot must take ac- count of wind, its strength, its direction and, on a journey of any length, its vagaries. Head wind will effect not only ed to-day so that in the rare event. Withdrawal Of Five Entrants his speed but his fuel consumption chine remains up with the other of failure to one engine the ma and his range. A cross wind will biow him off his course. All these] factors involve a specialised know- Since then there has been a slow ledge, and none of them governe but sure inercase from day to day.. On the last day of August 391b. of the driving of a motor car. mail went to Glasgow.
miles day showed an abrupt slump of over Afty per cent. to about 301b. The Thus the first stage will take them same thing was experienced on all niwa! 13 hours, and none of the others the lines. less than 10 or 11 hoars, not reckon-: ing help or hindrance from winds.
London
AMARSEILLES
BACKPA
APRICA
BUSHIRE
KARACHI.
(SPEED DIVISION) CONTROL POINTE ARK UNDERLINED
Refuelling and formalities
Itwo or three.
For the air passenger, as apart centage of reliability of scheduled from the private owner, the per-
flights is staggeringly high.
Efficiency Of Services
Nevertheless, it has been assum- The total capacity of the aero-fed that the vast mass of motorists planes engaged on the service, as-will quickly become "owner dri
Here are some figures taken from suming that no passengers were on vera" of aeroplanes if the machines board and that the tanks were full, are cheap enough: an assumption the Report on the Progress of Civil based on the experience of the Aviation which has inspired me to motor industry.
write on this subject:'***
would be about one ton,
A Time Handicap
The air mail service is still in the experimental stage. An un- deniable drawback to the schedule,
Experience Needed
Year
Flights Flights Percentage. commenced completed completed *... 3896
3812
1931
1932 at 1933
3194 3319
3128
98.4 97.9
3280 98.8
3395...
3863.... 99.2
Of the original 64 entrants in the London to Melbourne air race, five have now withdrawn. They
are:
Andre Gueit, Algiers (Caudron Monoplane Renault).
I.).
W. Courtenay (D. H. Moth Gipsy
Wedell-Williame Air Service Corporation, U.S.A.
C. Cudell Goetz, Lisbon (Comper
"Kite" Pobjoy Magara).
Alan S. Butler (D. H. Dragon; Gipsy Major).
.4
ULSTER'S FIRST AIRPORT
Founded By Lord Londonerry
DEFICIENCY
AUSTRALIA AIR
RACE TAKE-OFF
IN SUFFOLK
·FIRST USE OF NEW R.A.F. AERODROME
LONG RUN AND OPEN COUNTRY
The new R.A.F. aerodrome at Mildenhall, Suffolk, will be, by permission of the Air Miafatry, the base for the great International air race from England to Melbourne, which starts on October 20,
It was made available after examination had shown that no civil aerodrome had the necessary |hangar accommodation to house all.
the aircraft entered.
|· Arrangements made by the Royal Aero Club will enable competitora to use the atation from early in October.
la
The nerodrome, so far unused, about sixty miles from London. With ample accommodation, its dimensions are approximately 1,400 yards by 1,100 yards, with a maximum run of 1,500 yards.
But for the race, the Royal Air Force would have formally occu- pled Mildenhall on October 15. The construction of the nero- drome, which was
begun last year, is this year for the first time a charge in the Air Estim- ates.
Built In Flat Country
The aerodrome has a magni- ficent surface, and there is the important advantage that the sur- SHORTLY TO BE rounding country is flat and open,
offering no obstructions. RECTIFIED fords possible landing room for
AT LEAST 60 MORE MACHINES
TWO ON EACH CRUISER AND CAPITAL SHIP.
It af~
machines which in many cases will start with an overload of fuel and may be compelled to land directly after the take-off.
The adoption of Mildenhall will (add bet twelve or fifteen miles to the first direct stage, England to Baghdad, us compared with any other, aerodrome which might have been used..
The hangar accommodation One result of the Goverment's will be more than sufficient, and five-year plan for strengthening all the competitors will be on an our air power will be a substan-equal basis.
A
London.
tial reinforcement of the Fleet The selection of Mildenhall Air Arm, which is now well below avoids interference with normal its nominal strength..
civil or military flying 'activities,
None of the aircraft-carriers' in commission has its full comple- ment of 'planes on board, the de-
(Continued from Column 4)..
In fact, as far as air passengers
ficiency amounting in some cases in our air liners are concerned, the
to 20 machinés.
risk, of being killed in an air accí-.
At present the popular family 1930 as at present constituted, is that car can be bought for £150 or less. whereas it is necessary to post let-The light aeroplane for two
It is the Admiralty's aim even-dent is extremely small. And note ters at the G.P.O. at 1 p.m. for about £700 (although a make of
tually to provide every capital that the British Aviation Insurance delivery (by air) in Glasgow the monoplane now on the market can These figures recount the effi-
ship and modern cruiser with Company (which is not in business at next morning, letters may be posted be bought for £450). I think that clency of the European, services
two seaplanes. At present, ow-for its health) gives cover to air ́ ing to the shortage of machines Passengers by Imperial Airways at the stopping places will occupy a up to 6 p.m. in London for delivery when the £150 aeroplane does come from Croydon. Here the weather certain amount of time, so that the next morning in Glasgow by on the market, for the reasons out-conditions in winter would be ex-
and personnel, the only vessels the same rates as for surface trans- Belfast,
carrying two 'planes are the pert. it is obvious, if the four long ordinary mail.
lined above there will be no alarm-pected to lower the percentage of Only by paying the express de-ing rush to buy.
reliability. Yet it has been almost Ards airport at Newtownards, cruisers Exeter and Achilles. stages and two short final opes
One must distinguish military 100 per cent. each year. In fact, the first civil airport in Ulster, was The total are to be flown in less than five livery fee of sixpence can business
number of ships aviation from civil. The tasks per- Now two other factors come in. there have been occasions when the opened this afternoon by the Dake equipped with aircraft is only formed by pilots in the R.A.F. are complete days, many hours must men and others gain the advantage be spent in the air at night. by using the air mails of having First, popular ownership of a car Channel boats could not, make the of Abercorn, Governor of Northern nineteen and, but three of these vastly different from those which in Glasgow developed when the motorist learnt crossing while the air liners could. Ireland, on the invitation of the are capital ships, Barham, Royal civil pilots are asked to undertake. Between the compulsory land-their letters delivered
the same night.
that he only had to fill up his
Marquis of Londonderry, Secretary Sovereign, and Renown.
There is no comparison on which Air liners can now take off in for Air, and the Marchioness of Apart from the carriers, at any sound conclusions could be Ut is understood that the position vehicle with fuel and water to get
He acquired fog and fly in fog. Only the pro- Londonderry, through whose initia- least sixty additional 'planes are drawn. is shortly to be reviewed by the jaway with murder.
the the rudiments of driving and blem of landing in fog remains to tive the project has been establlah-needed to furnish our battleships The time has come (Indeed Postmaster-General. Among are a number of optional landing possible alternatives for improving learnt the rest from experience. be completed in all weathers.
and cruisers with aircraft in ac- had arrived long ago) to distin- But you cannot just fill up the is being tackled. It will be solved. The new airport is on the Lon-cordance with Admiralty policy. guish between the risks of owner- A direct London-Glasgow ser- aeroplane with fuel and fly off in- Meanwhile the liners, descend at donderry estate beside the Comber In this respect the British Navy firing and passenger-flying.
to the blue.
fog-clear aerodromes if the des-road, on the TT. circuit. It is lags far behind every other first- Whether you fit your own tipation is fog-bound.
eight miles from Belfast, and will class fleet All the latest Ameri-machine with the latest "blind-fly- Secondly, have the vast majority Special services for mail only, of people either the time or the
replace the Aldergrove station, can and Japanese cruisers. haveling" Instruments and wireless in a which in future will be used only four, 'planes aplece," while two or matter on which you can please by the Royal Air Force. The site three are carried in every French yourself. These things are out- covers. 50 acres.
and Italian vessel of the same side your control if you are an air.
ing places,
Darwin Charleville Melbourne
Baghdad, Allahabad Singapore
places open both for speed and handicap divisions.
By way of the five compulsory stopping-places the total distance le 11,323 miles; measured on the line of the optional stops it is 12,277 miles.
Safety Conditions
The conditions, adopted in con sideration of the wish of Sir Mac-|
the service are:
vice without detours,
"Night mail services,
apast from passengers,
inclination to learn navigation be-
A later general delivery in the fore going into the air? The great Glasgow district, thus permitting
majority of motorists lack this the present service to become a "same day" service.
As regards the conveyance of
pherson Robertson. the giver of passengers the services have been the prizes, that
(Continued în Laci Column),
knowledge. If they are going to HONG KONG FLYING
fly regularly they are content to be air passengers. For a short Journey on a fine day they may be
no unnecessary popular. An official said, that pas ready and capable of taking the
CLUB
It
ed.
risks ahould be run, rule out en-senger applications had several controls. But to use the scroplane Resolution Of Voluntary tries of machines which are Bot times necessitated the duplication in accordance with certain inter-of services. nationally adopted standardis.
Last Friday the
northbound Thus, machines must be able to pass plane from Croydon was duplicat-
as a means of transport regularly implies the ability of parfect; and this experience the amateur will
over an obstacle 20 metres (66ft) high, ed, and recently, the southbound lack.
machine was also duplicated, 18]
600 metres (660 yards) from the take-
off start.
Sixteen U. S. A. entries are on passengers being carried each time.
Owner Pilots Still Few
Winding-Up
APPETITES IN THE AIR
During the summer about 1,000| five or six-course meals' were served
type.
ALWAYS LOOK BEFORE YOU LEAP
it
of
passenger in someone else'n machine. But, the air transport operator looks after this. Whether the pilot commits some error jjudgment ending in a crash is your
personal problem if you own“ a. work machine. These errors will not be made if you do not break the rules you will have been taught in your training. It is not unfair to say
de
in the air on the London-Contin- The flying instructor, having ental services. On British internal livered a lecture on parachute services (in which Imperial Air concluded:
"And if it doesn't open well, ways were not engaged) 22,017 passengers and 30,7821b, of freight gentlemen, that's what is known as that most accidents to owner pilots A resolution calling for the were carried last year. voluntary winding-up of the Hong
MEETING ON OCTOBER 25
'Jumping to a conclusion."
the list, and fourteen British, the The Glasgow-Belfast "hop" bad As much as price these facts will Kong Flying Club in to be submit U.S. Pioneer of Flying Who
present total of all countries be also been duplicated on several limit the growth of private owner-
ing fifty-nine.
are due to errors: for. which they alone are responsible.
Aircraft do not break up in the sir nowadays The Meopham crash. is three years, and three years In an age pilots are too carefully chosen and
Missed Aviation Mark Narrowly in aviation. Alf Iner
ted at the extraordinary general occasions, this particular service ship. The number of owner pilots meeting of the club, to be held on America is sending some of the proving exceptionally popular as it
in Great Britain is still small, and October 25. finest pilots in that country. Great eliminates a frequently turbulent shows little change in recent years. In addition, other resolutions Men wondered, and some laugh twice narrowly escaped drowning too well trained to be involved in
Here are the figures: ent
Britain, too, will be worthily resea journey. presented, although it is a dised- vantage that the machine on which "three of Britain's best teams will fly has so little time for preliminary trials.
AVIATION FACTS AND FIGURES
AVIATION ISSUES AT DISCOUNT
Food & Tobacco Shares Enjoy Minor Boom
The total membership of the 18:3 flying clubs subsidised by the Government in 1933 was 4,981,
New York, To-day Dow Jones reports that
chemical
growth of 802. British Croydon ing shares are per air pert's attraction as a shown by than
the fact that last year 71,280 autom
were conducted over the worse that
Fralde
port
21:6 per
United
1931 1932 1933
385 402
408
will be submitted for the appointed, at Samuel Fierpont Langley. The Press was roused to hostility accidents from cause which some- ment of Messrs. John Fleming and Here was an astronomer who had by Langley's fianco. Congress, times beset the private owner, i E. M. Bryden as Liquidators, and This does not mean that the for the renunciation by members of won world-wide reputation, the which had veted $50,000 for his The cheaper aeroplane many in- ranks of private ownership will not any interests, they may have in the head of a great seat of learning experiments, cut off further crease the class of private owners; bat in the long run the appeal will at Washington, who actually be funds. grow. As machines become ches surplus, assets of the Club
lieved that man would fly and Yet to-day Langley is accepted always be a limited appeal because work to achieve that end. es the man of science who first it la not a meter-car, It's's, ship
demonstrated the practicability United States cele mechanical fight
per their appeal is bound to spread
A further resolution to be. The next generation will take to dying itself more willingly but no sidered is as follows:
Liquids more naturally. The development
auth But needed,
stion will never
birth proved it. In the
hon spirit he spent much
Ivestigating
of the figh
Fid models run scientific
blem
IMPRESSIVE EFFICIENCY
neys
vay!
$1982
100%
009 100 200100