THE COMMERCIAL AEROPLANE.
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Topical Notes and Comments.
Wild Estimates. '
THE SPEED of developments in connection with the commercial uses of the aeroplane can only be compared at the moment with the speed of the aeroplanes themselves, both surpassing, in about equal degree, the records of any other moue of transport. The reputation of the commercial aeroplane will of course, suffer sooner or later from the enthusiasm of some of its champions, the inherent attractiveness of, the whole idea and the consequent unrivalled possibilities which it will open up to the company promoters. At the moment we want development to be rapid but sound. The need for prompt action is so great that it is even worth while to take the risk of overstepping the mark to some extent. Even the Government may conceivably be carried away by the strength of the public opinion which is rapidly forming in support of the establishment of aerial services throughout the world, and particularly throughout the British Empire. .
During the next few months there will be a lot of iight and airy talk about the costs of transport by air. Statements that may be accurate enough when regarded as prophecies will be distorted into inaccuracies when applied to the present, and-all sorts of misconceptions will arise. Thus, for instance, the writer recently heard a statement to the effect that the commercial aeroplane will comparewell in economy with the .railway service. A little inquiry elicited the fact that the assertion was reached somewhat as follows An aeroplane built to carry about 20 passengers may operate at about 5s. a mile, provided it forms part of a considerable and regular service. In that ease the cost per passenger-mile would be about ad. This is not so very much higher than a first-class railway fare, especially when we allow for the fact that extra speed means .fewer expenses for meals, etc., taken en route. Thus, we get a fairly equal comparison betweene the aeroplane and the railway in
one specific case, and by the time the conclusions have been passed about by word of mouth for two or three days we get the bald statement that the aeroplane costs no more than the railway as a means of transport. If we know no better, we are then led to .expect that our goods will be carried through the air at the rate of about lid. a ton-mile or possibly less, which, as Euclid has it, is absurd.
The Indian Mail.
The journey of General W. G. H. Salmond to India in a Handley Page Aeroplane with Rolls-Royce engines marks a very important step towards the organization of Imperial mail services. Of course, for this particular journey special preparations were • made, which put it altogether out of the realm of purely commercial propositions. The average business man would not undertake such a journey in order to save time if, before he started, intermediate depots for the provision of petrol, oil, and spares had to be established along the line of route. Directly we begin to talk in really long distances, we realize that an organized route with a system of intermediate
stopping points must be carefully planned and properly equipped. , Even so, the expenses of a preliminary character are nothing compared with the expense of laying down a railway or building a road over the same distance. Similarly, the time spent in preparations is infinitely less. If we-choose, we can have a system of Imperial aerial mail services running regularly in a few months time. Probably the Government will not adopt in relation to these services the principle of utilizing contractors which is generally favoured by the Post Office at home. The fleets used exclusively or primarily for mail services" will presumably consist of machines actually owned by the Government, and in that case we sincerely hope that the pilots will be paid upon a basis that will make the profession reasonably attractive and the social position connected with it reasonably good.
The Payment of Pilots.
We hear of arrangements being made, in connection with private enterprises, for pilots to be paid only at the rate of 23 a week. We are all for economy in commercial transport, but in this matter of the use of aeroplanes it is a prime 'essential to secure the highest measure of safety, which 'poetuiates the highest measure of skill and reliability on the part of the pilot. Moreover, one would imagine that the Government will want to institute in the air service something equivalent to the Royal Naval Reserve of officers, and this cannot be done at a price that does not represent the wage of a fairly skilled mechanic. At £3 per week skilled-pilots will be scarce.
The Danger of Fog.
The British Isles is in many respects the, worst circumstanced. part of the British Empire for the development of internal aerial services. Our distances are too short, our climate is too uncertain, and our system of rail and road transport is too nearly
perfect to make this country an ideal testing ground. Particularly, this prevalence of fogs is a great drawback. In the opinion of many very well qualified people, includuig 111i. T. O.+ M. Sopwith, fog is the biggest obstacle that the aerial service has to face. Even a light ground mist is a greater source of danger than a heavy gale. There is much to be done before aerial services will be safe in foggy weather, and if services have to be frequently interrupted on thisaccount, much of their value will be lost. In many other parts of the empire fogs are the exception rather than the rule ; distances are infinitely greater than in this country, and competitive forms of transport are not nearly so highly organized. We ought
i to be getting busy n sending out mtn to be put in the temporary service of the governments and local authorities in various parts of the empire for the purpose of studying local requirements and inaugurating comparatively, but not really, short-distanceservices to work in conjunction with what we may call the main line express services established
for the Empire as a whole. BEMBRIDGE.