PERILS OF THE AIR

Manawatu Times, Volume XLXI, Issue 3480, 14 December 1926, Page 11

PERILS OF THE AIR

Undue Risks By Pilots OVER CONFIDENCE AND ERRORS OF JUDGMENT LONDON, Nov. 26. The fact that the men of the British Koyal Air Force, in the course of the year, have flown 50 per cent more hours than the pilots of the world’s entire civilian and commercial air routes, was mentioned in the course of an inquiry regarding the recent accidents. The public is gravely concerned at the increasing number of fatalities, which at present total 81, and are the result of 50 crashes during the year. It is authoritatively stated that the fatalities, in relation to the hours flown, compare somewhat unfavourably with last year's figures. Otherwise, the period has been the most satisfactory in the peace-time history of the Air Force. Further, Britain’s Air Force fatalities, compared with the hours flown, are below those of any other Great Power. The British fatalities, though numerically appalling, have not affected recruiting. At’ a recent examination to fill 500 places, 1500 artisan ratings were candidates, though all were required to work upon machines during flight. The only positions which there is any difficulty in filling arc those of butchers and bakers. If the ratio of accidents in France and America were taken as a standard, Britain’s record was still more remarkable, because the flying conditions in Britain and her oversea stations were the worst in the world. An example is the north-west frontier 6f India, where engine failure, or a storm in the Himalayas, necessitating a forced landing, means a certain crash. Air Force pilots in Britain during normal training fly in fogs and rainstorms, and even snowstorms, which suspend operations elsewhere.

Members of the Air Force face constant hazards in the thickly populated and cultivated districts over which they fly regularly. The authorities who are investigating the crashes arc of the opinion’ that the majority of recent accidents are directly traceable to errors of judgment on the part of even the most experienced pilots.

The most recent smash, that at Ucnlcy, was due to a pilot, regarded as one of the safest men in the force, overstepping the limits of safety during a climbing turn which he had previously performed safely thousands of times. Another experienced officer, one of the two killed : at". Farnborough, became absorbed in a new instrument, and did not notice that he had lost flying spetd. The chiefs of the Air Ministry are rigorously enforcing every possible regulation to check pilots from taking undue risks. Many courts-mar-tial have been held for this offence, resulting in the reduction in rank of the pilots concerned. Many of the older pilots are guilty of over.confidcnce, which is most difficult to combat. Pilots also oppose the introduction of safety devices, particularly the pilots of sin-gle-seater fighters, who distrust mechanical devices, which are likely at any moment to take charge of the machine.

The ability to stall at will, causing the machine to drop like a stone, is ono of the favourite tricks in the fighter's repertoire; but It is bound to be fatal sooner or later if it is done at low altitudes.

Similar opposition was shown to the introduction of parachutes, which machines arc now compelled to carry.