The Timaru Herald THURSDAY, JULY 12, 1928. PERILS IN THE AIR.

Timaru Herald, Volume CXXV, Issue 18007, 12 July 1928, Page 8

The Timaru Herald THURSDAY, JULY 12, 1928. PERILS IN THE AIR.

Tragedy seems to follow tragedy in rapid and staggering succession in the dreary wastes of the Arctic snows, where the members! of the ill-fated crew of the wrecked Italia ha.ve either met their death or are enduring terrible suffering almost, within sight of .safety. The story of the lost Italia will be engraved on the imperishable scrolls with the immortal names of the men who lm.ve dared to penetrate the icy harrier in an attempt to wrest the well-guarded secrets of the Arctic Circle. But. although the conditions seem more favourable in pleasanter climes and less romantic scenes of operations, the fact remains that the hand of Death still reaches out. menacing where , men strive for supremacy in the air. In a single month in the Old Land, accidents in the air were so numerous as to call for the notice of members of the Imperial Cabinet and the Press. The month of May, for example, was marked by a. succession of regrettable accidents to officers and men of the Royal Air Force. On May 2 a bombing machine crashed and one man was injured. On May 8 a machine crashed while it was being tested, though the pilot on board escaped with bis life. The same week a machine struck the ground white carrying out special practice and the two l persons in it were killed, while an aeroplane had to make a forced landing in a, garden, and in doing this one of the crew was killed. In addition to these accidents to members of the regular Air Force, one machine crushed on May 6. in the hands of an Auxiliary Air Force pilot, with two deaths as the result. In connection with these fatalities there are two things which the public have been asking : Whether British flying for military purposes at the present time is conducted with all possible care, and whether the machines in use are fitted with the best available safety appliances. Everyone knows that military flying must involve risk. It diners in its 1 very nature from civil flying, which under ordinary conditions has now become reasonably safe. The airman who is trained for war purposes musf practice dangerous manoeuvres, must work in close formation, and must often fly at a low altitude. The two members of the Air Force killed on May 4 were engaged in carrying out specially dangerous flights for the purpose of training _ officers in shooting at low-flying machines. No service in the world has a finer spirit than the Royal Air Force, and the officers and men who.se loss the, country mourns were prepared to take the risk. Assuredly they did not throw their lives away; they sacrificed them for the safety of their country just as truly as the man wbo dies for the flag in battle. But it is the imperative duty of the nation to make sure that their equipment is of the best and that all practicable safety appliances are provided. This appears: to be in course of accomplishment, if the promises made in the Secretary of the Air Force’s statement are being carried out. Though in the past there has been hesitation and delay, according to tli.at. document the automatic slot is now being fitted to' our Bristol Fighter machines at the rate of six a week. This rate of fitting might perhaps be accelerated. As for 1 parachutes, it was claimed that 75 per cent, of Britain’s aircraft were already fitted with them last March, and that the proportion so. fitted will rise to 86 per cent, by the close of this year. Well-informed London newspapers, however, are saying that they see no reason to doubt the assurances officially given, but they urge the authorities to spare no trouble or expense in pressing forward the provision of ;*~vcty appliances. The country will not be satisfied, it is pointed out, until it can be said that everything possible has been done _ for _ the protection of Britain’s airmen.