The sun., 1916-11-22
SHALL POPULAR OR TECHNICAL AIR
" WORDS PREVAIL?

Time 10 do IL.

upon to ask for clear definitions and ex.
plantations. And they would all wei.
come q copy Of the finished product for
their ofnces.
This reminds me Of early adventures in
connection with a%eronautic terminolovv.
In 1S11-12 a name was wanted for In.
oficiai publication OF the Aero club O,
America n we asked several hundred
people In the Newspaper and magazine
fraternity to make suggestions. had
personally selected Aerial Age, Aero.
ndvtic RepicW and Aero World. These
names were considered too technica, and
hard by every one Of the newspaper and
magasine people. who proposed sucb
popular names as Flying, the Airmar.
the Air Scout. the A%irgonauf. &c. Til.
managing editor OF a national maya.
zine suggested Flying. and this nam.
became. a favorite. The technical peo.
pie pointed out that nothing actually
flies In ~aeronautics. tina We have no,
yet developed the aeroplanc with rap.
ping wings. and that the dirlrible rayl.
gates the air. while balloons drift. I'm,
the other side held that in the minds
VI " pSOpIt Out " ~ tnOusHnu nlrCr1ft
DO ny. and the name Flying. implying
the action OF human hight. IL a live
name. A few %aeronautic enthusiasts
felt hat Aerial Age was a much more
substantial name. and during the dis.
cussion II vas pointed out that in M,
prospective developed stage aircraft
promised TO revolutionize warfare. eco.
Monies and sociology. therefore tho
name Aerial Age would make people try
to visualize the aerial age to cors
But the other side very aptly pointed oit
that whereaN most people at that time.
did not even believe that acroplane.
were capable OF such development, ~
would enable them to remain in the air
for a few hours. and the possible value
Of ~aeroplanes for military purposes was
still a matter Of opinion. It was 700
much to ask people To try to visualize
an age when aircraft would be- applied
for both military and unitarian pur.
poses. So Flying was adopted.
A year or so before that ] had an
experience which proved to he quite
beneficial to me. \ certain popula~
magazine asked me TO write an article
presenting the status Of aviation in 4
popular way. ! included in his ar'lcl.
an account OF the important flights %,
the year and a definition of the Technical
developments that had taken place and
the cardinal problems thai were a. l.
solved 10 make %aeroplanes SAT
steadier and OF greater value. Amors
the flights of the year there had been
John M%oisant's. from Paris to Lond lr.
-, ,.l.yl, - E~l IL.
and a kitten presented to him BY aH
admirer. mentioned this fight br."s
and left out the kitten. feeling that r
detracted somehow from the dignity ~
the article. When | mentioned this 20,
the editor he said that IL should 10
included. ! disagreed until he polut.i
out that aviation's greatest need W.
to get people interested in IL and tn
$50 people out Of a thousand VOL Z
read the account Of Moisant's flight an.
try to visualize the %aeroplane fvIlr
across the English channe with the mo
chanic and IN. kitten on board, ,uI
that the EFFORT would impress the i,e,
Of night in their minds az probahi
nothing else would. and they wouI
thereby become Interested in the SUI.
wv NV want W Itdu UuOTt dpDl1 '
On the other hand. he pointed out.
account OF the technical i%mprovenc ,
that had been made and The denniu.p
Of the cardinal problems to be sol,.
which appeared so important to
would probably lie understood Nv
fifty people out OF a thousand. AMI .
fewer would grasp it's importance.
had to admit that he was -
| knew that what was needed more g,
anything else 20 develop a~eronautics We
public interest and public supper, ar
that without II the development OF ac
nautics would be greatly retarded. =
the kitten went into the story. In -.
Letting a dozen or so photographs q
illustrating the article we went throu.l
the same discussion. There were aNou.
zoo photographs to select from %
some OF them illustrated most -
ihgly some technical points which I %
important 10 bring out. But he pom
out that the best Judge in selecting =
photographs was "A young woman n
OF his assistants. who did not know
thing about a~eronautics and ppu'
therefore not be prejudiced In favor
technical details but would SCI,
photographs expressing the idea
human progress in actual dying
All Of which suggests that In mas
up a dictionary of a%eronautic terms
may be well to give preference e. to.
that already have an |aeronaut.c &,
notation. For instance. the W
hangar" Is clearly associated 81
~aeronautics. az a place for housing
craft, whereas shed would MT ~
that the structure was huilt for '"
nautical purposes.
II changes are to he made. row Z
time. The aeronautic movement '~
much like a big family. and oar u.F
are plastic and ready To- accent chang
But We shall not be- 50 muCa Ions
The American a%eronautic industry ~
have to take care of $780, 600 goo w
OF business in the coming twelve Wo. g.
and II the Increase next year f. pop
tionate to the increase in the past ,,
the business will expand Ia 5000 u. ''
IL only half Of that increase t1t''
place. the aeronautic industry VII s.
he large enough to make It hard ~ p
changes into effect So let ne rt
them now. HENRY WoooHorsE.
Member Board of Governors Aero e.
of America.