§ Sir H. NIELDasked the President of the Board of Trade whether any licence or other permit is necessary to enable civilian-owned aircraft to be exercised and flown; whether any regulations have been made with regard to the conditions under which such flying is authorised, and what, if any, security is required or other provision made for the payment of or indemnity against damage to life or injury to persons or property resulting from accidents caused by the fall of aircraft or from anything dropped from aircraft while in the course of flight; and whether there is any and what provision for the identification of such aircraft in cases where the injury is caused by anything so dropped?
§ Major-General SEELYThe conditions governing civilian flying are laid down in the Air Navigation Regulations, 1919 (Statutory Rules and Orders, 1919, No. 525). These Regulations provide,inter alia, that all aircraft must be registered and bear a registration mark, that aircraft carrying passengers for hire or reward must be certified airworthy, and that all pilots flying aircraft must be licensed. There is no special provision in the Regulations as to liability in respect of accidents. Conditions are imposed as to the display of the registration mark with a view to facilitating the identification of aircraft. Damage caused by aircraft is recoverable by ordinary process of law as in the case of damage caused by any other means.