But supposing the airman to be flying about a hundred yards above the forest-an occurrence not likely to happen with a skilled airman, who would probably take an altitude of nearly a mile.Almost before he could have time to alter his elevating plane, and certainly long before he could reach open ground, he would be on the tree-tops.
It is thought that in the near future air-craft will, be fitted with two or more motors, so that when one fails the other will keep the machine on its course.This has been found necessary in Zeppelin air-ships.In an early Zeppelin model, which was provided with one engine only, the insufficient power caused the pilot to descend on unfavourable ground, and his vessel was wrecked.More recent types of Zeppelins are fitted with three or four engines.Experiments have already been made with the dual-engine plant for aeroplanes, notably by Messrs.Short Brothers, of Rochester, and the tests have given every satisfaction.
There is little doubt that if the large passenger aeroplane is made possible, and if parliamentary powers have to be obtained for the formation of companies for passenger traffic by aeroplane, it will be made compulsory to fit machines with two or more engines, driving three or four distinct propellers.One of the engines would possibly be of inferiorpower, and used only in cases of emergency.
Still another cause of accident, which in some cases has proved fatal, is the taking of unnecessary risks when in the air.This has happened more in America and in France than in Great Britain.An airman may have performed a very difficult and daring feat at some flying exhibition and the papers belauded his courage.A rival airman, not wishing to be outdone in skill or courage, immediately tries either to repeat the performance or to perform an even more difficult evolution.The result may very well end in disaster, andFAMOUS AIRMAN KILLED
is seen on most of the newspaper bills.
The daring of some of our professional airmen is notorious.There is one particular pilot, whose name is frequently before us, whom I have in mind when writing this chapter.On several occasions I have seen him flying over densely-packed crowds, at a height of about two hundred feet or so.With out the slightest warning he would make a very sharp and almost vertical dive.The spectators, thinking that something very serious had happened, would scatter in all directions, only to see the pilot right his machine and jokingly wave his hand to them.One trembles to think what would have been the result if the machine had crashed to earth, as it might very easily have done.It is interesting to relate that the risks taken by this pilot, both with regard to the spectators and himself, formed the subject of comment, and, for the future, flying over the spectators' heads has been strictly forbidden.
From 1909 to 1913 about 130 airmen lost their lives in Germany, France, America, and the British Isles, and of this number the British loss was between thirty and forty.Strange to say, nearly all the German fatalities have taken place in air-ships, which were for some years considered much safer than the heavier-than-air machine.
