Omaha daily bee., 1919-03-22

gers of actual flight, but also compli.
Gates the navigational problem. A
large quantity of meteorological
data exists for the mid-Atlantic, but
it is all founded on mariners reports
of conditions from sea level. There
is generally a belt of 200 or 800
miles of fog around Newfoundland,
and, unless strong westerly wind
is blowing, the weather is always
cEangeable, so that it may generally
be predicted that when the wind is
assisting the flight westwards, the
weather is stormy, with thick cloud
and with rain and mist on the coast
CT Ireland.
The accomplishment of this flight
demands an organization capable of
centralizing at the starting point
all information about the immediate
weather conditions all along the
route, in order that the rare ogpor-
tunities when suitable conditions ex-
ist may be seized. The fact, coupled
with the complementary fact that
existing machines, even if navigated
with extreme accuracy, have a very
small margin of endurance beyond
the distance to be accomplished, has
led to the conclusion that this flight
should not be undertaken lightly and
should be viewed at present as a
demonstration rather than a COM
mercial proposition.
As regards overland projects,
among the many branches of the
subject one of the greatest impor-
lance will be the selection and
equipment of aerial routes. Landing
grounds must be provided and con-
spicuous marks and indications given
Repair facilities must be established
where skilled personnel is available.
The stopping places must be linked
up with the centers of distribution
of postal and other merchandise and
arrangements made for the control
of traffic both by day and night.
Here it is that private enterprise
will derive the greatest benefits from
the work that has been done by the
governments OF the countries during
the war. The greater part. however,
still remains to be done. To take
ALI example; you have probably all
read of the recent overland flights
between Egypt and India. Here !
want to emphasize the fact that all
the Royal Air force has had in mind
when these long range and special
flights have been undertaken has
been in order to blaze the trail and
gain experience.
Flying and the Press.
Although it is in connection with
long distance work that aviation has
most to offer, yet it is we'll not to
overlook the possibilities of such
routs as London to Dublin and Lon
don to Glasgow. In the former case
the distance is 288 miles, and in the
latter, 800. Study is now being
given by the air ministry to these in
connection with their possibilities
for urgent mails and newspaper
work. Newspaper proprietors may
easily find it advantageous to use
high-speed aeroplanes for convey
ance of copy, stereotypes, photo
graphs, and so on between such Gen.
tiers as London, Paris, Glasgow and
Dublin, for use in the simultaneous
publication of identical issues of
their newspapers.
| should like next to say a few
words on the prospects of individ-
ual passenger services between
large centers separated only by
few hundred miles of distance. We
have all been told in the papers how,
before very long, business men and
others will be telephoning to nearby
aerodomes and ordering out their
machines to convey them to Paris or
Brussels, or some other point. Well,
there is really no reason why this
should not come about. Quite apart
from the numbers of officers who
have been transported to France by
aeroplane in machines going out as
reinforcements, we established, in
the summer of this year, small or
ganization, called the Communica-
tion squadron. 1t was organized on
comprehensive lines, and consisted
of two flights of D. H. as, with
Rolls-Royce engines, and few
OtHcT uldCHlllCS, Will pei SOllIlCl VI
81 officers and men. Between All
gust and November there were
made no fewer than 272 passenger
cross-country flights. Such as to
Paris, Nancy, Dunkirk, Manchester,
York and Birmingham, and there
wa. not a single case of crash oc-
curing to any machine with pas
sengers on board. On one occasion
two D. H. 4 machines were required
to transport Mr.. Paul Cravath and
Mr.. Crosby, to the American mis-
sion, and a record trip was made
to Paris and back on the same day
in four hours and 20 minutes. One
of the pilots of this squadron, who
is over 40 years old, has now flown
across the channel as pilot 287 times,
frequently in bad weather.
Airship and Airplane.
1t may we'll be that for CONNER
cial purposes the airship is adapted
for long-distance journeys involv-
ing nonstop flights. The airship