New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1918-11-03
Any One Can Fly, So
Air Sport Should
Flourish
By Frank F. Tenney

Principal West Side Y. II. C. Il. School
for Airpiame Mechanics
Will the airplane supplant the auto
after the war? Is there future for
the aircraft industry when we are back
en- peace basis? Yes, and no. That
is, it is not likely that the auto win
be wholly superseded, but that it will
have to yield to the airplane for all
long distance trips is sure; and no one
can foretell how great the growth of
the aero industry will be, but there is
every assurance that it will be as
phenomenal as the auto manufacture.
That the aerial Gin lizzie is surety is
the belief of many automotive en-
gineers; the only uncertainty is as to
who will henryford the aero.
1t is absolutely certain that many Of
the wealthy sportsmen who have been
accepted by the government as fliers
and are in service will never be salts
fed to go back to the twenty-five miles
or thirty miles an hour OF the auto al
ter being accustomed to a pace of 90
to 1870 miles an hour with the birds
faster than the birds, in fact, for they
rarely reach ninety miles speed. The
small combat planes have landing
speed of 100 miles per hour and often
attain in fight 150-mile rate. Do you
think that men accustomed to that will
be content with slow moving auto ?
They would all the time be trying to
hit it up and would come in contact
with persons and police judges and
things.
1t was the rich sports who put the
auto industry on its feet in the begin
ming. A car cost so much in price and
upkeep that only a rich man could af-
ford one and the high priced and high
speed cars were the toys of the rich
man. though now any one may AFFORD
one. There are a lot of men in the
automotive end to-day who can remem-
Der when it was commonly predicted
that the automobile never would be
anything else than the rich mans toy.
The airplane industry is in that
same stage to-day--of course the war
has brought some remarkable condi-
tions, but they will not last forever
and when aeros can be purchased COM
! parably with autos and the trained
fiers are back here there will be de-
! mand for planes. Then it will be q
and developing the plane for CONNER
cial and pleasure fight; they will nat
urally grow cheaper in price and every
drop widens the field for sales. We
have acquired some experience in guam
tity production because of the war. and
in standardiZing, both in engines and
| planes. Some genius will come from
this who will revolutionize the trans
portation and commercial forces Of the
country.
Any One Can Fly
But you say that only few people
can fly. Nonsense; almost any one
can fly after a short training. Two
years ago man who could fly was
looked upon as something superhuman.
and possessed of extraordinary quail
fications. The stringent demands of the
army examining board for pilots
fostered the belief that pilot must
possess more than the average mental
and physical requirements-that flying
was only for the favored few There
were special age limitations Men must
be young; in the army twenty to thirty,
preferably below twenty-five, and in
the navy, eighteen to twenty-five, pref
erably below twenty
Well, the theorists didn't know it
all. Some older men were highly sue
cessful in the air. and health did not
always count. One of the notable
cases is that of Lieutenant Godfrey
, Cabot. Of the U. S. N. r. F.. who took
up flying. when beyond the life merid-
ian. This man of past fifty has be-
F., come one of the most successful ,iers
of the Naval Reserve and has had a
remarkable career patrolling the New
England coast, besides giving lessons
to pilot recruits.
Then there is the late Lieutenant
Guyncmer, who stands out as perhaps
the greatest fighting f1ier up to the
time of his death. This man was re-
peatedly rejected because of his health
he was. consumptivc and could not
stand the nerve tests-was a nervous
wreck, almost. He was able to get a
commission only because of inside
friends, who won the day for him.
Also there is Lieutenant Benedict,
one Of the first instructors in our
school, who was turned down fat on
account of his eyes when he applied
for a commission in the U. S. Air
Service. They told him he probably
never would be able to make a success
full landing. He had not told them that
he Cor some time had been an ex-
hibition flier and had done all sorts
Of stunts and had landed hundreds of
not take him, however, and finally he
went to Canada made a splendid rec
ord with the r. A. r. and is now flyine
overseas.
! Flying requires no superhuman row
: ers or abilities. Anybody can fy, ex-
cept the poor fellows who get sick
riding in a trolley or steam car. The
few cannot stand any kind of motion
and of course could not fly. Yes, any
body can dy-if he has the price, and
some day the planes will be compar-
ably as cheap as the tin lizzies of the
auto world, though the air is no place
for the seasick.
No Terrible Sensations
! What about the terrifying sensa.
tons of flying? There amt no such