Evening star., 1926-10-10
GIBBS SEES AIR EPOCH
DESPITE BIG ACCIDENTS
Warns Nations Must Learn Peace With
Coming of Fool olproof Plane, Else
Perish by New Power.

II must he admitted this is a very
high standard Of safety.
There are countries in which flying
Is much safer than in Europe. with
its crowded population. its irregular
surface. and its network Of telegraph
wires and other Obstructions. The
deserts of Egypt and Asia are like
great aerodromes. where pilot in
distress can land in perfect safety
anywhere without danger of crash
ing upon steeples or chimney tops or
swooping into hedges and hay stacks.
Civil aviation in Australia Is already
progressing rapidly in order to link
up with far distant places. which, un-
til now, have been inaccessible or too
remote from easy communications
with civilized life. The problem of
good land ng places Is one of the most
vital elements of safety
Most accidents. believe, occur in
landing when a pilot has to come
down quickly and is not sure of avoid
ing houses and other obstacles. In
such countries as England and France
there will have to be many more aero
dromes at frequent stages of any
cross country fight before that addi-
tional means OF safety is secure. The
risk OF fire. which Is most terrible.
has been checked by the British inn
perial airways, which under govern
ment inspection, carry their main pc
troll tanks away from the engines on
the top pla mes, so that there Is gap
between them. preventing the main
cause of fire.
FoOl.Proof Plane.
There is an immense prize awaiting
some inventive genius who will design
foolproof aeroplane, but, however
long we have to wait for that, 1t is
certain. In my mind. that nothing will
check the progress of flight.
1t is considera bly, less than 90 years
ago when I watched the first flights
and marveled at the courage Of the
aviators. l waited one morning for
Bleriot to cross the Cha nnel, arSl knew,
when 1 saw his machine above the
cliffs of Dover. that England was no
longer an island and that world his
tory had begun a new chapter of des-
tiny. 1t was only little while before
then that l had seen a man named
Cody bring out a machine made by
himself and son, with heavy struts
and twisted web, and had laughed It
him until one morning he set his en-
gine going and waited around An
aerodome like a butterfly, with a
petrol tank weighing half ton. until
he crashed and lay bleeding under the
machine, from which I helped haul
him out.
During the war I saw day after day
and year after year the adventure of
French and British airmen over enc
my lines and heard the drones Of the
"Gotha's' double fuselage as 1t came
to hurl bombs on our camps and
cities.
Sees Bright Future.
Since then there has been a pause.
or at least the air has been less
recovery of Europe, every government
Is turning it's attention to aviation for
purposes of trade and traffic. The fu-
ture of humanity Is in the air and 90
years will see many shining wings on
far Journeys between dawn and set
ting sun.
OF one thing l am certain. When
aerOplanes are made as safe as mo-
tor cars-which are not exactly safe
humanity will be in greater danger
than ever before In world history. For
they must either give up hatred.
which>is very difficult, or nations will
destroy each other and the cities that
lie beneath their flying squadrons.
Every step forward in aviation is an
other plea for peace, because conquest
OF the air means we must rise above
the morality Of earth and men or per-
ish by this new power which we have
gained. For that reason l am not in
hurry to see that fool.proof aero
plane.
tCopyreht. 1922