Already the California legislature has made several laws to protect the
aeroplane and the aviator, as well as to safeguard the larger public
that stays on the ground. Some of these laws may seem a little
premature, but everything about aeroplanes goes so fast, that there is
no wonder the laws instead of lagging behind conditions as they usually
do, should speed up a little ahead of them, for the progress of flight
is such that by the time the law gets on the statute books the
conditions may be calling for it. For instance, bills have been
introduced at Sacramento to regulate the licensing of aeroplanes, which
are to be classed as "motor vehicles," and to carry numbers and lights,
the same as automobiles. The idea of providing for lights seems a little
far-fetched at this time, as it will be a long time before there will be
much flying at night. Besides, such lights as the proposed law provides
would be unnecessary, for the reason that the aeroplane would not be
confined to an arbitrary path, but could choose its own course.
Therefore, a single light in front and another behind would be all that
would be required, instead of one pair in front, one behind and one on
each plane, as the bill suggests.
FUTURE COST OF THE AEROPLANE
The cost of the machine is high at the present time because there are
but few made. No doubt when the great numbers of people who are now
deeply interested in the subject get to the point of practical flight
and desire to take flights, they will want to own machines, and learn to
operate them. Then aeroplanes will be made in quantities and the price
will be reduced in accord with the number that are built and some day we
will be able to buy a good aeroplane for about the price we have to pay
now for a small automobile.
Cortlandt Field Bishop is credited with having said when some one asked
him if the manufacture of a cheap aeroplane, to cost $150, including the
motor, would not be a great business undertaking, "Well, a great
undertaking business should certainly come of it."
LANDING PLACES
The most serious problem of flying to-day is to find a good course to
fly over and suitable landing places. The day will soon come when every
city and town will have public landing and starting grounds. As a matter
of fact the park commissioners of New York City have already been
discussing the setting apart of landing places or isles of safety in the
public parks of the city, although some authorities declare that it
would not be well to encourage fliers to risk themselves and the people
below by flying over the houses. There should be routes of travel
established between cities over which an aviator will have a right to
fly, just as there are highways on the surface of the earth.
GOVERNMENT ENCOURAGEMENT
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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