Wasted Effort in the Air

Press, Volume LXXII, Issue 21904, 3 October 1936, Page 14

Wasted Effort in the Air

Of the nine aeroplanes which left Portsmouth on; Tuesday morning on the race to Johannesburg, one has reached its destination; another still .has a chance of doing so; the remaining seven have either crashed or been delayed; and three men have been injured and two killed.: Apart from the financial benefit to Mr' C. W. A. Scott, who is to be congratulated on his remarkable effort in bringing off an air double, nothing has been gained in the race, and a good deal'has been lost. Aviation has not been advanced in the slightest degree by this race, or by the Melbourne centenary ritce—and in that life was lost too. It is known that these great distances can be flown in extraordinary times, times far in excess of ordinary transport needs, and there, is no advantage in having men strain themselves to the final dregs of physical endurance in an effort to bring' about such spectacular annihilation of

space and time. The truth of the matter is that wealthy , people, tempting pilots with big cash prizes, are in not much better position than the sponsors of Home’s gladiatorial chows. No doubt they gave the money in proper public spirit, but future benefactors of this kind had' better think what the consequences of their generosity will most probably be. In flying, as in travel by iand and sea, certain precautions have to be taken and certain rules observed. In the heat of a race it is almost certain that some pilots will take chances which prudence would forbid them to take in' ordinary circumstances; the result can be disastrous. It is to be hoped that the British Empire has seen the last of this derring-do in the air. It is reported that the Napier; Thirty Thousand Club is plan-? ning to organise an air face from Sydney to Napier. That idea had better be forgotten, immediately, for nobody has the right to tempt men into throwing away their lives even for £SOOO. ■: ‘