Al TRA SP
Page 47
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The A.A.,. Appeals to Municipalities
THERE are signs that the development of air travel in Britain has reached a crucial stage. At one time last summer 15 internal air lines were being operated, few of them more than 12 months old. No claim is made that all these air, lines have yet paid their way, but they will begin to do so when the public has acquired the habit of travelling by air. This will happen all the sooner if people are enabled to fly wherever they wish instead of only to those places that have aerodromes.
As far back as 1928, in giving evidence before the Royal Commission on Transport, Si" Stenson Cooke, Secretary, The Automobile Association, urged that encouragement should be given to local authorities to provide municipal aerodromes ; to-day there are only 17. Many municipalities have been waiting for a visible increase in air traffic before undertaking what they feared might be an unjustifiable expenditure. Their hesitation and the consequent lack of aerodromes has been one of the main factors in delaying the awaited increase of flying.
The Automobile Association has made an attempt to break this vicious circle by publishing a register of temporary landing grounds at places where there were no aerodromes. In the interests of safety these grounds are kept under constant and regular inspection by the A.A. There are now over 50 such landing grounds and the volume of traffic that has used them shows the demand for permanent facilities.
It is satisfactory to note that the need for aerodromes is becoming more generally realized. The Automobile Association has given advice on 16 new sites in the past few months, but the work of providing ground facilities for aircraft must be pushed forward with energy if the recent promise of speedy development in flying is to be fulfilled.
Isolated efforts have proved to be insufficient. The towns that have developed airports cannot reap the reward of their enterprise until a traveller by air can land at any important town in Britain.
The A.A. therefore appeals to municipalities, in the interests of their ratepayers, at once to acquire and sterilize sufficient land for an aerodrome to meet the future needs of air traffic.
This is the first and essential step, and the present rate of residential and industrial building makes immediate action imperative. The preparation of the surface may economically be undertaken in stages, so that a landing area for the medium-sized aircraft of to-day is at once available.
In order that the least money may be spent to the best advantage, it is important that no work should be begun until plans for the completed airport have been drawn up by a qualified aeronautical consultant. A list of approved consultants is published by the Air Ministry. Without such a plan the future success of the aerodrome may be imperilled, with waste of public money.
Flying is the speediest form of travel yet devised, and its effects must be felt by all, whether they fly or not. Whilst the development of aviation concerns every town of importance, it cannot be treated parochially. Unless there is at once a national effort to provide for future needs Britain may be outstripped by other countries, and suffer a blow to trade and prestige.