FROM ALOFT.

Auckland Star, Volume LXV, Issue 238, 8 October 1934, Page 8

FROM ALOFT.

TRAFFIC CONTROL.

LONDON EXPERIMENT.

POLICE AUTOGYRO USED

A blue and silver autogyro flew over. London last month to test the value of aerial observation to traffic control by Scotland Yard. The observer was Mr. 11. A. Tripp, the Assistant-Commissioner in charge of London's traffic problems. By special permission of the Air Ministry he was allowed to fly lower over the metropolis than the minimum (4000 ft) enforced by regulations, and at times was not more than SOO fret above the busy streets. This gave Londoners an opportunity of seeing tiie comparatively unusual machine at -io great height above their heads. \ The head of the C.I.D. will probably conduct experiments on 1 lie lines of those | made by the Chief Constable of Leicester a few months ago, when a marked car tried to make its escape from the town by dodging down side streets and doubling back on its tracks, but was kept in constant view by the we teller in the sky." A similar experiment will be particularly interesting in London, where the larger area will give greater advantage to an escaping car. If it proves successful the Flying Squad may have an air ir n. Aeroplanes constantly in touch with headquarters by a two-way wireless system would send ! messages which could be picked up by ! the patrolling motor squads. For Crowds and Riots. It is also likely tint an autogyro would be particularly u. ehil in dealing with mass demonstrations. When disorderly scenes are expected the police use look-out posts on i.he tops of tall buildings. The top of tiie Marble Arch and a room in Canada House overlooking Trafalgar Square have h"en used several times. But such observation has been confined to a limited space. From the air crowd movements over a wide area could be kept constantly ;;i view. Mr. Tripp's pilot, C-iptain R. A. C. Bries, of the R.A.F., found that the most convenient altitude ?oi observation was about 1000 ft. If the : i>l;ine descended lower the view was serf rlied by high buildings, and the streets passed out of sight too quickly. It is proposed when air observation is used to control traffic that the observer in the autogyro will transmit to Scotland Yard messages showing the state of traffic in congested areas. Headquarters will then issue instructions to men on traffic duty in the streets. "I enjoyed the trip greatly, and I think although it is too early yrt t(} say anything definite, that there mey be tremendous possibilities with regard to aerial traffic control," Mr. Trij.n said. "When one is 111 the air one gets brain waves, but naturally ideas have to be carefully formulated before we can announce our plans. "Traffic problems cannct be solved locally. Only the other Jay there was a big hold-up at Westminster. We traced the cause as far away as Kennington. "From the air one sees tilings which it would be impossible to detect from the ground, and *1 think there may be great strides in solving traffic questions by tlie use of autogyros. "The sort of thing a policeman sees from the air which strikes him at once is. for example, an excellent roadway which is empty. At the end of it is a nasty bottle-neck, and motorists are not using it because they know about the bottle-neck. Its removal obviously suggested, although from 'lie ground one tniglit never learn fliat it was the reason for a long stretch of roadway being neglected. "I shall certainly go up again, but it would be premature to say to what extent we intend to use 'lying machines for traffic control."