JOY RIDES IN THE AIR

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 161, 2 April 1919, Page 2

JOY RIDES IN THE AIR

, A FLIGHT FOR A DOLLAR. (By Clarence Winchester in the "Daily, • Mail.") Passenger flights in the most comfortable aeroplanes on the coast— from five shillings each, passenger. Double fares if piloted by Pilot B—, who downed 10 Huns duiuifr tho Great Wnr. From tho sands or sea daily, 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.—Blank Flying Company. Following the announcement that an aviation company has.asked the .Southend Corporation for the exclusive rights of plying lor hire, from the sands with tour-seuter biplanes, it seems uot at all unlikely that tho above advertisement, or a somewhat similnr one, will become quite frequent in the newspapers. At least some pilots will bo able to find n spring, summer, and autumn occupation—and a very pleasant one—in taking up seaside visitors who will try tho aeroplane as a change from tho tiuneness of tho rowing-boat and the steamship. Sea-sickness is much liloro prevalent than air-sickness, mid in this important matter uloue tho aeroplane has much to recommend it.

Short llights at fivo shillings may. bo adopted only to givo the sceptical an opportunity to tasto the delights of tho air. Once having contracted tho nir lust, a large number of the "trial" passengers will, encouraged by their previous experiences, undoubtedly try' [longer llights, say at one, two, and fivo guineas. I have had passengers' who Imvo made a habit of till; in); flights regularly every week or every month. That there will be n sufficient demand for these brief pleasuro trips is borne out by tho fact that at a recent sports meeting held by an aviation company two pilots were kept busy for'several hours in taking, up passengers at two guineas a head, the "money afterwards being handed- over for the benefit of wounded soldiers. At (ho end of the afternoon there was still a largo, airqueue which had to be'disappointed.'' Competition will ensure that the passenger gets full value, for his money. For two guineas the modern passenger will want more than one or two small circuits at a height of 100 to 200 feet, as given in tho old days of Hying, when some pilots n.sked their passengers to sign n form stating that they were Hying "at their own risk and peril" and indemnifying (he pilot against editions fur damage. That,' combined with the brevity of tho trips, was sufficient, to I scare away many passengers. To-day, with safe and comfortable Hying an established fact, the seaside pilot.s job ought Io prove a protilflblo Olio until the novelty .of such trips weal's oil', by which time tho problem of employing all demobilised pilots will, let us wipe, be solved.