This is the first time I have been given the honour of reading a paper before the Royal Aeronautical Society, and I propose to give you a brief review of the progress made in commercial air pilotage and some of the problems the presentday captain of aircraft has to tackle on every day all-the-year-round flying in Europe and on the Empire routes to Africa, India and Australia.

It is perhaps desirable at the outset to see how commercial flying differs from military and private flying.

In the first place commercial routes are fixed and aircraft operate to schedule with many ground aids, compared with R.A.F. operations which of necessity have to be carried out without the assistance available on regular organised routes.

In commercial flying, formation and any flying involving steep turns and sudden manoeuvres must be avoided. Passengers’ comfort must be studied. Flights are of longer duration, and the commercial pilot flies many more hours during the year than does a military pilot.