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).
