See and Avoid—The Cornerstone of Aviation Safety

Written by Rich Hanson President's Perspective Column As seen in the May 2017 issue of Model Aviation. The first recorded midair collision occurred on October 3, 1910. Frenchman René Thomas, flying an Antoinette IV monoplane, collided with British Army Capt. Bertram Dickson, ramming his Farman III biplane in the rear at the Milano Circuito Aereo Internazionale meeting held in Milan, Italy. Both pilots survived, but Bertram was badly injured and never flew again. This incident revealed the need for a set of rules that…