AVIATION.

Hokitika Guardian, 22 March 1928, Page 2

AVIATION.

Australian «fc N.Z. Gable Association.) LONDON, March 20. Lt.-Col. Moore-Brabazon said: ’‘Wc had a bad week of aviation last week. 1 cannot remember a worse, but I hope ne are not going to lay down a stern rule as to what people ought and ought not to do.” The people had a right to risk their lives us they liked. It would be a retrograde step to surround thorn with difficulties to stop initiative, whatever mad enterprise they might indulge in. It would be like stopping Drake going- round the world beiore the seas were charted. We had had a serious setback in the attempt at the seaplane speed record, but it was really extraordinary that out o>f all the hundreds of miles flown at great speed, Kinkead’s was the first fatality marking our attempts at a record. Ghoped we would regain the record which was most important to the prestige ol our industry, and the engineers. Fir Samuel Hearts, replying, said the trouble with civil aviation was the shortage of money. From the viewpoints of reliability, economy and administration. England was definitely ahead in civil aviation. The Committee of Imperial Defence had urged a minimum lone should hv fifty-two squadrons. It was at present between thirty and forty. There would be no peace until it reached the minimum. Tie did not want to disparage bravery and initiative in Atlantic attempts, but lies considered rather that they should not be attempted until there was a machine Tetter qualified for the effort: He foresaw the greatest difficulty in Hie State attempting to prevent individual flights-. 11ow could he or any department toll when a pilot was actually about to cross. Many such (lights had been undertaken without bis knowledge. He did not wish to dogmatise but his- present view was that it was unwise to take any responsibility of the kind. A FUTURE FLIGHT. PARIS, Alai eh #o* Zoubkoff reiterates that he and the Princess will fly the Atlantic. He states ho is going to the Congo for three months, then ho will return to Pc Hmirgct and commence the flight, piloted hv a Russian airman who was on the French front in wartime.