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THE COMMERCIAL AEROPLANE.

6th February 1919
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Page 17, 6th February 1919 — THE COMMERCIAL AEROPLANE.
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Keywords : Taxicab

Topical Notes and Comments.

The Route to Cape Town.

GREAT INTEREST attaches to the announcement that the Air Ministry is organizing a flight from London to Cape Town with the object of facilitating a preliminary survey with the ultimate purpose of establishing an aerial mail. It will be remembered that one of the most interestirtg statements in the report of the Civil Aerial Transport Committee was that which dealt with the possibility of a mail service between London and Johannesburg. It was pointed out that communication by cable takes about twenty-four hours and costs about 28 10s. per thousand wards, while the air service would probably be able to carry a letter of 5000 words at the cost of about half-a-crown. It is understood that the South African and the Indian routes will both follow the line, London to Cairo, the latter town being the point at which they will diverge. I gather that the estimate of six days will be confirmed for the time being. Also that experiments are being made with an alternative and rather longer route from Egypt to South Africa, involving the utilization of flying boats.

Arising out of this information, one begins to see clearly the possibilities of great variations in the comparative status of cities being brought about by aerial travel. Cairo may, by becoming a junction, become also an infinitely more important centre than it is at present. Doubtless the stopping places on long routes will be selected for their existihg or potential importance as business centres. This may result in a wide detriand for local transport of all kinds and the motor industry may for this reason find it worth its while to keep a watchful eye on these developments.

The Pioneer Trip to India.

' The news arrived last -week that the HandleyPage with Rolls-Royce engines, which left England on 13th December for India, had arrived safely at Karachi. The first impression of the man in the street on reading this news is that it does not form exactly an advertisement of the high-speed possibilities of aerial transport. We inust, however, remember that the air route to India has not yet been organized Atthe moment, what is wanted is a species of .pioneering and surveying work and not the creation of new speed records. At least, the machine has completed the journey of something over 5000 miles. This journey was not altogether free from adventure. Had the aerial route to India been already thoroughly organized there would, of course, have been available reserve machines at various intermediate points. Probably the machine starting from London would, as a matter of course, transfer its cargo to anothei machine somewhere about Cairo, at which point it would remain for overhaul, and, after that was .completed, would pick up the home mail, and take it over the second half of its journey. No doubt those who actually took part in the trip have learnt a great deal about the organization that will be

necessary. To the man in the street the main lesson is that the thing can be done, in which case it must be done. But we are not likely, for some time to find people indulging in long aerial tours independent of those routes thatmay have been equipped with complete ground organizations. At present the position, except for organized services, is flitch the same as that of the motorist in the days when cars were apt to break down, and,when there were no competent repairers or suppliers whose assistance could be utilized en route. Only those .who have gone in for motor touring in countries where such facilities do not exist realize how much influence the retail motor trade has exerted in the way of making motoring a pleasurable occupation for all and sundry.

The Health of Pilots.

The Royal Aeronautical Society recently listened to a learned discourse on the essential mental and physical qualities that a pilot ought to possess. Apparently these may be fairly well summed up in the statement that physical conditions in the air require not only sound heart and lungs, with ample reserve force, but a good controlling and adjusting nerve mechanism, not subject to serious emotional disturbance. Accidents may be due either to loss of nerve or to over-confidence on the part of the pilot. A pilot must not only possess good nerve-physique, but must avoid any exees4injuriaus to the nervous system, and must keep thoroughly fit in every way. Apparently, the whole subject is now under consideration by an official committee. and the general opinion is to the effect that the ideal commercial pilot is not identical with the ideal fighting airman. Evidently, the medical test of a pilot's fitness will have to be a pretty stiff one, renewable at regular intervals and also after illness. The risk of disqualification on medical grounds introduces unc-irtainty. as to permanent employment, which should be recognized in the rate of wages offered. As regards excesses, it is, of course, a serious legal offence for a motor driver to be intoxicated when in charge of a vehicle. In the ease of the pilot of a passenger-carrying aeroplane it inay be necessary to go further, and to make intoxi cation at any time, whether on or off duty, legal ground for the withdrawal of his certificate. Such a precaution may seem to be exaggerated, but a very great deal depends on getting the public as a whole to regard aerial traffic as free from any abnormal element of danger.

Rather too Optimistic..

An evening paper recently came out with the glaring headline which read : "'Taxi-Plane, Sir 1" The matter beneath the heading was harmless enough, consisting merely of a fairly optimistic statement at. tributed to Mr. Holt-Thomas, who has always 'hew prominent among the optimists.He mentioned thai aeroplanes will be licensed for hire like cabs, but un. fortunately when a remark of this kind is made by men. whose words carry weight, it is very likely to get distorted into something positively ridiculous. Thus, the heading referred to'calls up visions of ranks of aeroplanes waiting in the streets to take City men home to the stiburbs. It is to be hoped that the public will not be carried away by this sort of nonsense, and thereby be induced to support all kinds of wildly speculative .ventures of a thoroughly impracticable character. The aeroplane, for a long time to come, must have landing grounds at its disposal, which puts it entirely out of court, for quite short journeys. The aerial taxi will undoubtedly come, and that seon, but it will not ply for hire in public places, but will be booked by telephone.-

No doubt the promoters of aerial taxi services will be prepared to send cars to pick up clients and to bring them quickly to the starting point. The Londoner with urgent business to do in Glasgow or Paris will sometimes be prepared to pay the price, but the price as compared with that of a railway journey will be exceedingly high. Moreover, in the main, these services will have to follow routes carefully planned in advance, because complete safety is only. obtainable if intermediate landing grounds with suitable marks and lights are available. Thus, the aerial, taxi will be more or less restricted in the :same way as the railway, and will not have the same mobility as ta motor vehicle. BEMI3RIDG"E.


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