THE AVIATION BOOM [To the Editor of the SPECTATOR1 Sig,—Will
you allow me to endorse most heartily the views expressed in the admirable letter from Mr. H. W. Whiston, published in the Spectator of the 8th instant ?
Sir Leo Chiozza Money's ignorance of the whole subject upon which he has ventured to address your readers is truly amazing. Consider, for example, the sweeping statement that aircraft are " grossly overburdened with fuel at the beginning of-their journeys." Does he really mean that to be taken literally ? Is he aware that the European system of airways, together with its extensions, now has a total route mileage of 36,111 miles, and that none of the many hundreds of machines operating this system is overloaded with fuel ? As a matter of common knowledge a commercial machine carries. but little more than the amount of fuel necessary for its trip, in order to be-able to carry the maximum paying load.
Moreover, both passengers and freight are carefully weighed in order to ensure that there shall be no overloading.
Throughout his letter, Sir Leo discounts an array of estab- lished facts. For example, in support of his contention that commercial flying is very dangerous, he refers to one of the extremely rare accidents on what he terms " the much- vaunted German commercial system " ; an accident in which no fatalities occurred. But he ignores the fact (possibly he is not aware of it) that the machines operating that systeni flew last year a total distance of 3,816,069 miles, equivalent to some seventeen trips to the moon, and carried 56,000 passengers, with the loss of but one life. And let it be noted that the system was, and still is to a large extent, operated by machines of obsolescent types. Then there is our own record—only four fatal accidents to passengers in a distance flown of 5 million miles, equal to about 210 cicrcuits of the world ; and no fatal accidents during the past two years. Perhaps Sir Leo is also unaware that the insurance rates per £100 for goods carried by air between London and the Conti- nent arc actually less than half the premiums charged for ordinary surface transport. And in Germany several insurance companies include even professional pilots' risks in their ordinary insurance policies without extra charge.
Again, Sir Leo states that " the aeroplane is at the mercy of storm and darkness and fog." Another sweeping statement. Has he heard of the American Trans-Continental Air Mail ? This service covers the 2,640 miles between New York and San Francisco in thirty-two hours as against three days by the fastest train. The machines fly both by day and by night throughout the year and the service was maintained last year with 931 per cent. regularity. The machines were single- engined, in addition to being of a type which is now obsoles- cent. Admittedly fog is a handicap to aircraft, but it is by no means such a severe handicap as Sir Leo suggests. A machine guided by directional wireless can now, if necessary, fly through fog to its destination. The difficulty is to land, and there arc fair prospects of this difficulty being overcome in the near future. But although fog may prevent the com- pletion of a journey, it is not necessarily a danger to air navi- gation, because pilots arc now forewarned of fog areas by wireless.
Sir Leo contends that militarism alone is responsible for the stupendous development of commercial aviation on the Continent. If he had said that it is one of the factors respon- sible I should be inclined to agree. But in any case, his contention would hardly apply in the case of America. Pre- sumably, Sir Leo would not suggest that the large financial interests which are now supporting aeronautical development in that country are investing their money for military reasons ? Surely militarism is not responsible for the following forecast of impending developments in the United States recently made by the American Under-Secretary of Commerce for Aeronautics :—
" Already corporations are daily carrying United States mail on 17,000 miles of routes. The Trans-Continental mail is about to be taken over by private corporations, and then the whole of the air mail will be transported by flying companies----20,000 miles and a dozen or more companies. Backward in othcr commercial aviation fields, we are easily world leaders in mail transport. There is already a limited amount of regular air passenger and express transport in this country, but it will multiply amazingly. The volume of air taxi business, including machines used for the exclusive business purpose of their owners, is now considerable and is due to reach great proportions. I have no doubt that within the next two or three years the associated aeronautical industries will attain propor- tions that will command the daily interest of investors and the Stock Exchanges, and that their creation of new demands for basic products and old or new second rate products will be healthy factors in the creation and maintenance of prosperity, as they will afford outlets for capital, investors, managers and employers from fields of production that are, or may be, saturated in view of present demands, and will provide an inviting now field of desire and demand for millions of consumers."
While we indulge in insular scepticism, aptly exampled by Sir Leo's letter, other civilized states, both great and small, are pushing ahead with the development of their commercial air systems. Would that space permitted me to lay all the portentous facts, which the Air League has collected in regard
to thig subject, before your readers. Here arc a few significant figures : Great Britain possesses to-day a total of but twenty commercial machines, including the five employed on the Cairo-Basra service, and her route mileage, including the above service, is but 2.325 miles. as against Germany's 14,862 miles
and France's 8,304 miles. During the past summer German commercial aircraft have flown 35,000 miles daily, as against our daily average of 2,850 miles.
History shows that the progress of civilization is dependent to a very large extent upon increases in human mobility hence the platitude : " Transportation is civilization." In commercial aviation we have the latest form of transport. It is a great new constructive agency which offers incalculable benefits to the British Commonwealth. That it is also, as Sir Leo contends, an inherent factor in air power, is but another reason why we should develop it. For Great Britain, the heart of the Empire, is, for geographical and industrial reasons, of all States in the world the most vulnerable to aerial attack.
Brigadier-General.
Secretary General, Air League of the British Empire. Astor House, Aldwych, W.C. 2.
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