711.00111 Articles or Materials/398

The British Embassy to the Department of State

Aide-Mémoire

His Majesty’s Government are anxious to be allowed to use British civilian crews to fly aeroplanes to be delivered to His Majesty’s Government by manufacturers in the United States, from the factories. At present His Majesty’s Government engage American crews to deliver such aeroplanes as far as the port of exit in the United States for foreign destinations. For example, the Consolidated PBY 5’s destined for delivery to the Government of the Commonwealth of Australia, are flown by American crews as far as Honolulu. In the case of the B 24’s United States crews are employed to fly them from San Diego to New York where British civilian crews take over. The restriction on the use of British civilian crews is the cause of considerable expense and delay.

His Majesty’s Government therefore request that permission should be given for British civilian crews to take delivery of aircraft destined for His Majesty’s Government at the factory and to fly them over United States territory en route to British territory.

It is proposed that the present arrangements as to transfer of title should remain and that title would remain in the American manufacturer until the aircraft crosses the United States frontier.

His Majesty’s Government also require to carry out training flights in the United States with British civilian crews in charge. At the [Page 383] present moment such training is confined to the environs of the airport, but adequate training involves cross country flights such as between Seattle and Sacramento. In the circumstances His Majesty’s Government requests that it be given authority to carry out training flights in the United States with British civilian crews in charge and that such training flights be not restricted to the environs of an airport. The British civilian pilots would be eligible for the normal civil pilot’s certificate in accordance with Civil Air Regulations which provide for the issuance of private pilots’ certificates to holders of pilots’ certificates of competency issued by a foreign country. They would of course observe the normal civil regulations concerning the flight of aircraft in the United States. The title to the planes will remain in the manufacturers during such training flights.