AERIAL CONTROL

Evening Post, Volume XCVII, Issue 103, 3 May 1919, Page 11

AERIAL CONTROL

HOW IT WILL BE OPERATED

INTERESTS OF PUBLIC SAFETY.

Details of the control over commercial flying to be exercised by the Air Ministry are being discussed by the Ministry and representatives of the industry and the Royal Aero Club; and while on certain point 3 there is conflict of opinion as to where interference by the State should end, a friendly and mutually helpful spirit is being shown, writes Major C. C. Turner in the London Daily Telegraph. In short, the authorities recognise that a healthy aeronautical industry is essential to the well-being of. the country, both from the defence and the commercial points of view. The Bill shortly to become law will only operate till the end of the year,- and by that time all parties will have gained in experience of commercial aeronautics. But the greatest enthusiasts of flying will readily admit that the cause of aviation will be better served by a little reasonable control in the interests of public safety than by laxity leading to fiasco and' disaster, followed by a reaction against every form of aerial activity. The Aerial Navigation. Acts of 1911 and 1913, will continue in force. They provide for the notification of all aircraft crossing the coast-line, and all aircraft from abroad landing in the United Kingdom ; and they specify a large number of areas over which flying is pro-' hibited, and illegalise crossing the coasts at all save at few points. In addition, Royal Aero Club rules prohibit flying over towns and crowds.

The regulations provided for by the new Bill will compel tha registration of all pilots and passengers on every aerial journey outside the limits of an aerodrome; but it is hoped that some modification will be made in this rule, which would, it appears, involve a lot of tedious filling up of forms for every person who has half an hour's flight in the aerial environs of Cricklewood or Purley.

Some of the details as to the practical application of the powers conferred by the Bill will, no doubt, be modified according to the decisions that will be mads by the international conference of aero clubs about to assemble in France. Among these will be the conditions under which certificates are to be issued to pilots. These certificates are not to bo oonfused with Government licenses to carry pa-ssengers; but the two things are related at certain points, and their exact relationship cannot be determined until ■the Federation. of Aero Clubs makes known its policy. The Air Ministery has decided to delegate many important duties.to aeronautical bodies and the manufacturers, the alternative being the maintenance of a huge staff of officials, the cost of which would secretly commend the system to Parliament. So far from that being the policy, the Air Ministry staff is to be. cut down pretty drastically. One of the most debatable matters is that of the inspection of aircraft. Under this head, and on the plea that the safety of the public is concerned, it would only be too easy to introduce -a paralysing amount of interference. The excuse would be the liability of aeroplanes to break in the air. But, as a matter of fact, this' is the rarest of all causes of accidents; and even in war time, under intensive training, and with trick-flying putting unfair demand's upon machines, it was quito a small danger. Under peace conditions the risk would be practically nonexistent, as rare as that of an axlebreakage in a railway train.

But the responsibility of the aviation companies, the check secured by insurance, the heavy loss of money and reputation entailed by accidents, would! be sufficient to ensure safety for the public. Inspection, of course,, is necessary; but tho inspection will be by the manufacturers' own inspectors, these- to possess certain qualifications according to the Air Ministry standard. In short, every appointment to an inspectorship will have to be submitted to the Air Ministry.

One of tho difficulties is that of Custom duties. It is thought in- some quarters that a way to get over this will be to remove duties on small, light commodities that could be easily. carried on aeroplanes. Tho importation of forbidden drugs is another source of anxiety, but it may be pointed out that in the case of all such articles no regulations have yet entirely prevented smuggling through the,. Customs houses at Liverpool, Dover, and Harwich.

Whatever shape the Bill may assume in its final form, there is no longer any reason to fear either that passengercarrying, or that the various interesting sporting events projected for the coming summer and autumn, will be prohibited or regulation-strangled. By April a number of concerns will be running, enabling the general public to enjoy flights, at quite moderate fares.