The recent accident on the London-Paris airway has called attention to the rule of the air. The Air Navigation Regulations clearly lay down the procedure to be followed. Generally speaking, this is as follows:
(1) Flying machines, including airships, shall always give way to balloons.
(2) When two motor-driven aircraft are meeting -nd-on, or nearly end-on, each shall alter its course to starboard (the right).
(3) When two motor-driven aircraft are on courses which cross, the aircraft. which has the other on its own starboard side shall keep out of the way of the other.
(4) An aircraft overtaking any other shall keep out of the way of the overtaken aircraft altering its course to the right, and must not pass by There "=o many other rules of the air, but tha above are the chief regulations. The following, however, is of particular interest in view of the recent collision. It is Par-graph 25 of Schedule 7 of the Air] th Navigation Regulations:
Where by any of these rules one of the two aircraft is to keep out of the way, the other shall keep its course and speed.
When, in consequence of thick weather or other causes, such aircraft finds itself so close that collision cannot be avoided by the action of the giving-way aircraft alone, it shall take such action as will best aid to avert a collision.
The above quoted rules have also been adopted by the International Air Convention, which has not yet been ratified.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.