The Birmingham age-herald., 1922-06-25
NIGHT FLYING IS
 LATE FAD BETWEEN
 LONDON AND PARIS
Air Taxicabs Become Latest Conveniences-London Try ing to SommerciaIize
 Aerial Communication
Rx Asaociatnd Preus

London, June 24-Night. flying between England and France, which was inaugurated early this month, is expected to add immensely to the commercial value of aerial communi- cation. It saves time. and makes possible remarkable train and steam boat connections which were before impossible.
 The first plane to travel between London and Paris at night left the London air station at 10 o'clock and landed at the Paris aerodrome soon after midnight. It contained Brig adler General ". S. Brancksr, direc- tor of civial aviation; Col. L. P. Blandiy. controller of air communi- cations. navigator, pilot. two wire less operators and 8 mechanic.
 object of Beauty
 The air station at Croydon, outside London. was blaze of searchlights, coIored electric globes and powerful incandescent arc lamps. The illu- minated cabin of the machine and , the red, white and green navigating lights made 1t an object of rare beauty as it rose in the darkness and headed for the coast.
 On arriving in Paris General Branckner said: q dined comfort ably at &sndon hotel. motored down to Croydon, got into the ma chine, and am here at 1 o'clock in the morning after a very leisurely flight. I am ready to go to bed in Paris or am prepared to go on to Marseilles to make connection there.
 Need Telephony
 T expect regular passenger night flying soon to start" continued the director of civil aviation, but cer- tain things are needed before it can become general between Paris and London. The first essential is greater perfection of. wireless tele- phony on board airp1anes, so that pilots can learn what the weather is ahead of them. Then we need better lighting of intermediate aero dromes in order that pilots may be able to land safely if they find Paris covered with an unexpected bank of fog. At present whenever there is a fog the French intermediate sta tions send up rocket flares to Q height of 1,000 feet at 10-second iu- tervals to mark their position"
 The flight of General Branckaer was followed few nights later by a night round trip between Paris and London. This machine left Paris at 10 p. m, arrived at Croydon at 1 a. rn., left for Paris at 2:50 a. m., and got back to Paris at SOS a. m.
 Great Britain pays her aviation companies a subsidy of $350 for every complete flight across the 2 English channel. This has encour- aged most of the companies to put on daily, service, which is always well patronized. especially by Amer leans. The railroad and steamship fare@ across the channel occupying air trip. which takes little more than two hours. is one-third more expensive, plus baggage charges.
 Air Taxicabs
 Air taxicab service Is the latest convenience offered the London pub lic A former officer of the British flying forces in France has estab- lished fleet of small airplanes IF the city and suburban districts which he calls 'air taxicabs." Pas sengers are landed at their door step, instead of at some distant aerodrome.
 One of the pilots alighted with a woman fare on the lawn in front of her home. Earlier in the day the same aviator took Jockey Steve Donoghue, the winner of the Derby, from the Epson track to the steps of his home. This meets my ideas of speed" said Donoghue, who has ridden some of the fieetest thor oughbreds in. the world. Usually in taking an airplane I've been drop ped miles away from my destina : tion instead of yards"