How
do you fly a 777ft rigid airship ?.How did they train pilots
to learn to fly these machines ?. Very little information exists
in both German and British records as to the details behind
the flying of the ships. However we are pleased to bring you
a copy of the following text which was written in 1930, just
as the British Imperial Airship Sheme beginning it's commercial
start. This covered the requirements behind the flying of non
rigid and rigid airships.
BRITISH
AIRSHIP PILOTS' LICENCE
.IN ADDITION
to general directions concerning the air- worthiness of aircraft,
their equipment, the carriage of log-books, and the medical requirements
for pilots, the Air Navigation Directions 1930 (A.N.D.10) contain
interesting requirements for the competency of pilots of lighter-than-air
craft. These are appended.
AIRSHIP
PILOTS
General
98.
There shall be three classes of airship pilots' licences. The
holder of a third class licence is qualified to command any airship
of less capacity than 200,000 cubic feet. The holder of a second
class licence is qualified to command any airship of less capacity
than 700,000 cubic feet. The holder of a first class licence is
qualified to command any airship.
99.
A candidate for an airship pilot's licence must have fulfilled
the conditions required for a pilot's licence to fly balloons.
Third
Class Licence.
100.
The tests and examination for a third class licence shall be as
follows :
(I)
Practical Tests.
(a) Twenty certified flights (three of which shall be by night)
in an airship, each flight being of at least one hour's duration.
On at least four of these flights the candidate must have handled
the airship himself under the supervision of the commanding officer
of the airship, including ascent and landing, during the whole
flight if the duration thereof does not exceed four hours, and
during at least four hours if the flight is of longer duration.
(b)
One flight on a predetermined course of at least 7° miles, terminating
with a night landing, and made with a duly authorised inspector
on board.
(
2) Technical Examination.
(a)
Aerostatics and meteorology.
(b) Physical and chemical properties of light gases, and of materials
used in the construction of airships.
(c) General theory of airships.
( d) Dynamic properties of moving bodies in air .
(e)
Elementary knowledge of internal combustion engines.
(f) Elementary navigation; use of the compass; location of position.
(g) Inflation; stowage; rigging; handling; con- trols and instruments.
(h)
Knowledge ofrules as to lights and signals, rules of the air,
and rules for air traffic on and in the vicinity of aerodromes.
(i)
Practical knowledge of international air legislation. Provided
that persons who are qualified as Royal Air Force Airship Pilots
may be exempted from the tests and examination for a third class
licence except as regards the examination subjects specified in
(h) and (i).
Second Class Licence.
101.
The tests and examination for a second class licence shall be
as follows :-
(I)
Practical Tests.-To be eligible for a second class licence a candidate
must be holder of a third class licence and have at least four
months service as a third class pilot on an airship, and also
have completed at least 10 flights as third class pilot in an
airship of capacity above 200,000 cubic feet, on which he has
handled the airship himself, including ascent and landing, under
the supervision of the commanding officer of the airship, during
the whole flight if the duration thereof does not exceed four
hours, and during at least four hours if the flight is of longer
duration.
(2) Technical Examination.-Advanced knowledge of the subjects
required for a third class licence.
First
Class Licence.
102. The tests and examination for the first class licence shall
be as follows :-
(
I) Practical Tests .-To be eligible for a first class licence
a candidate must be holder of a second class licence, have at
least two months service as a second class pilot on an airship,
and also have completed at least five flights as second class
pilot of an airship of greater capacity than 700,000 cubic feet,
on which he has handled the airship himself, including ascent
and landing, under the supervision of the commanding officer of
the airship, during the whole flight if the duration thereof does
not exceed four hours, and during at least four hours if the flight
is of longer duration. Each flight must be at least of one hour's
duration with a minimum of 15 hours for the five flights.
(2)
Technical Examination.- As stated above for a second class licence.
Provided that persons Who are qualified as Royal Air Force Airship
Pilots and have commanded airships of greater capacity than 200,000
cubic feet, may be exempted from the tests and examination for
a first class licence except as regards the examination subjects
specified in (h) and (i) ofparagraph 100 (2).
