Spirit level on planes

Telegraphing on Tuesday, the Paris correspondent of the Daily Telegraph says: - The need of a spirit level for aviators has been…

Telegraphing on Tuesday, the Paris correspondent of the Daily Telegraph says: - The need of a spirit level for aviators has been proved by an adventure of M. Bregi at Mormelon a few days ago. He had risen to a height of 4,500 feet and was suddenly lost, so to speak, in the clouds, which were so thick that he actually could not see the horizontal rudders. Under the circumstances he could not judge whether he was following a straight horizontal line, and was in danger of beginning too vertical a descent. Luckily he had provided his machine with a level, which, perhaps, saved him from disaster. By watching the level carefully he was sure of his horizontal line, and, after some minutes, he emerged safely again into cloudless space. For the future he will never again fly without a level, and perhaps it would be a wise precaution if every aeroplane were fitted with such an instrument.

The Irish Times, August 31st, 1910.