AVIATION NOTES.

Press, Volume LX, Issue 18242, 28 November 1924, Page 9

AVIATION NOTES.

™ INTERNATIONAL AIR COMMISSION, (igou qua, own coagiiseojmEg'r.) LONDON, October 21, An air-scout branch of the Boy Seai* movement is to be developed side-bj - side with the light aeroplane elnbs which are to spring up throughout the country- The boys of to-day will he tho airmen find aeronautical engineers, or to-morrow. 'ln Germany, i'ranee, and other countries, every ettort is bslnc; made to give uoys a ( practical interest in flying, mid to mako them wish to take to the air In tno same way boys of previous generation? nave v/arned for a life on the sea, v Light-'plane clubs flying-fields, sheds', repair shops, and fleets of small aeroplanes will, it is realised, provide admirable seppe for air-scout work, the boys being brought into a direct touch with aviation. They will bf «Wp t( ? make themselves useful in all sorts oi ways on the aerodromes, moving machines in and out of sheds, Handlim? them when on the ground, and mounting gujml required. ChaUppa Wl*< come their way, also, gf being taken up as passengers in two-fiontei- prart, and flf thus gaining an <?iuly "baptism of the ail'-" , , , , Tlie building of model aeroplanes and will also he encouraged, and the boys will hear lectures by air experts. A 'juvenile handbook, prepared already by the Air League of the BrWsh Empire, will form a capital aFr-scout dealing as it doe& in clea l ', Pimpje Inuguage with the primary facts about Iu order that tjus air-seout sclieine mav keep pace with the progress no"' being made in regard tft air-ctliihs, «3ii-: ferehces are tQ lie held at which plans will lie outlined enabling an aerial branch to be fitted into its place in the general Bqv Scout organisation.

Uniform Control pf European Plight.' An International Air Commission is being heid in Paris this week. Among tho subjects b.rng diponwed is the alteration of Article 5 of the Aerial -Navigation Convention, IUIO, so as to admit tho free circulation of tho ajr-eraft or ex.enemy attites iu the air of both Allied and neutral States Article 5 roftdp- lia follows: "Aa contracting State shall) oxcept by a speeial and temporftry authorisation, permit the flight abovo it» territory ot air aircraft which does not possess .the nationality of a contracting State. - ' The effect of this was that, long as Germany and other es-enemy States were not parties to the Convention, they were debarred from the right of innocent passage through tho territory of the signatories. Holland, Switzerland, Norway, Sweden, and Denmark declined to adhere to the Convention, pointing out that their Pwn aircraft might he shut out of Germany in retaliation. 'I ho difficulty was met in a measure by a Protocol of June, 1020, allowing temporary "derogation*" from Article 5. This was found to he a clumsy diplomatic process, and now all the leadinc signatories have signed a Protocol varying Article 5 so as tp give a much wider latitude for aerial navigation over tho whole airspacft pf Western Kurope. The Commission has no authority to mako this change, byt faivours it.

It is believed that the two Protocols will ease the way not only for Germany to enter the Convention, as~Bulgaria already has done, but for the former neutral countries to do the same. This would mean a uniform control over international flight throughout Western Europe.