TAXIS IN THE AIR

Evening Post, Volume CXIII, Issue 48, 26 February 1927, Page 20

TAXIS IN THE AIR

ANYWHERE AT ONE-AND-EIGHT A MILE. The managing director of Ai- Taxis, Limited, the registration of which as a private company, with a capital of £5000 in £,1 shares, has just been announced, gave a "Manchester Guardian" representative some interesting details of the company's scheme of operations. The company has been formed to carry on business as "letters-out on hire of flying machines to carry passengers and goods by air," and ae-ording to Captain Hope "fares" can be conveyed to anywhere in Europe and Asia at reasonable charges and at a great saving in time compared with road tr--iport. Captain Hope is himself a skilled pilot, having been three years on crossChannel aeroplanes—two y ars with the de Haviland Company, and twelve months .with the Cairo-j agdad aerial mail. He was flying all through the war in the R.F.C. and R.A.F. and took part in matfy air combats. • "Already I have acted quite successfully aB 'taxi-man,' " he said. "Recently I took a Birmingham business man over 3000 miles in five days in a little D.H. Moth two-seater aeroplane. We flew to the borders of Russia, via Holland, Germany, Belgium, France, and back again."There was not a hitch in - - whole flight. My 'fare' did his business in a number of towns and cities, and when we fended at Birmingham I was duly paid at the rate of Is 8d per mile. There would have been far more fuss and arrangement over a long journey by road in England itself. Using a bigger 'plane and a faster one our charge would be 2s a mile. , : "Our company is busy now selecting pilots and awaiting the delivery of ■more machines. We have already a Moth and a 9 BJJ.H., the latter being capable of carrying two passengers and 4001b of luggage. Soon we shall have

the delivery of a new type of de Havilland with a Bristol Jupiter engine. This will be a fast machine with a cruising speed of 100 miles an hour and a high maximuri capability. O-. a long voyage we should aim at 'hops' of 600 miles. Our fleet will expand with re;quirements. People would find our Moth very handy for inter-Britain trips. We ; consider that there is great scope for the venture wo have started. This is the day of safe flying, providing there are reliable machines and skilful pilots. We shall supply both."