Obstacles in the Air The fatal accident to the air
liner Apollo,' interrupting the splendid record of Imperial Airways for safety, indicates one of the dangers of the air against which, on foggy nights, there is little protection. It cannot be regarded as very remarkable that on such a night a highly skilled pilot should have deviated by a few miles from his usual course. He found himself among a network of 900 ft. aerial masts and braces, with lights only visible when it was too late to avoid the obstacles. Not one time in a thousand, it is true, will a skilled pilot be flying low on a familiar route in the proximity of such a murderous obstacle. But there are many wireless stations in England, and, far more numerous though less lofty, electricity pylons, which are potential dangers to light aeroplanes, whose use in this country is so rapidly increasing. There is safety in flying high or when visibility is good, but neither condition can alwa3 be counted upon. If we would make air travel as safe as travel on the ground some method of obviating this danger has to be found.
Previous page
