Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1919-02-25
Training School for AUiatOrs
on Mesa Now is Assured Fact;
VIII be Ready to Open April 4
Lieut.. Witt and NJ. H. Wood
Will Leave for Buffalo to
Buy Planes; Work on Han
CARS Starts Tomorrow.

Albuquerque is to have a school for
training commercial aviators. This
positive announcement was made yes
terday following a campaign of three
days during which time local bust
ness and professional men agreed to
back Lieuts. Edward j. Mason and
Joseph b. Witt to the extent of &c.
600 to enable them to purchase
high power plane for cross-country
flying, The assistance is not in the
form of a loan-the men simply gave
their names as security at the bank
and the money will be repaid in the
course of a few months. Lieutenants
Mason and Witt and the latter's step
father M II. Wood are going to buy
two training planes, but needed fl
nancial assistance to enable them to
acquire the third and it was to aid
them get this that the help of Albu-
querqueans was sought and obtained
eve are more than pleased" said
Lieutenant Mason, lat the fine spirit
displayed by your people. We came
among them almost strangers and
Froached our proposition to them. AT
that time few of them had given any
thought to a school for training COM
mercial aviators, and those who had
considered the matter perhaps looked
upon the scheme as visionary
1--WE placed the matter before your
Chamber of Commerce. We ex-
claimed the possibilities of airplane
service and the field that is being
opened up for commercial aviators
The Chamber of Commerce was quick
to see the opportunity that was being
offered to advertise the city and at
the same time to educate pilots to
handle planes and thus be able 10
have hand in the coming mode of
transportation.
THE men we interviewed for the
purpose of obtaining backing to raise
money to purchase a third plane
treated us with the greatest respect.
Many of them needed the situation
explained to them, while others had
already posted themselves. We did
not meet with a single refusal. Such
a spirit of cooperation certainly is a
credit to the citizens of Albuquerque
and we shall never forget the manner
in which they have come forward
and agreed to back our undertaking.
I'VE are also grateful to Arthur
Prayer Paul G. Redington and Aldo
Leopold, members of the aviation
committee of the Chamber of Com
merce, for the assistance they gave
us. They laid aside their business
cares and worked indefatigably for
the success of the undertaking. They
are boosters in every sense of the
word"
we fully concur in all that Lieu
tenant Mason has said" Lieutenant
Witt and Mr.. Wood replied
Lieutenant Witt and Mr.. Wood will
leave this morning for Buffalo, ~
Y, to pick out the three planes, two
for training purposes and one for
country flights, and arrange to
have them shipped to Albuquerque
If possible to do so, one of the planes
will be shipped by express so as to
reach here in time for the automobile
show March SIS. No flights will be
attempted at that time, even if the
plane is received, as the landing field
will not be ready. The plane will be
used merely for exhibition at the
show.
Lumber for constructing the hang
ars for the planes will be hauled to
the field today and the work of
building the hangers will start to-
morrow. AS announced, the site Sc
lected for the school comprises 100
acres of land situated on the north
side of Central avenue, east of the old
military camp. Two hangers will be
built at once for housing the two
training planes. hangar cannot be
constructed for the larger or cross
country flight plane until its dimen-
sions are ascertained.
The school will be ready to re-
/ ceive students about April /, it was
announced. A number of young men
are already on the list waiting for
the school to open, and an extensive
advertising campaign will be inaug-
urated at once, This is expected to
| bring students here from all parts of
the United States and ere long it is
/ predicted that Albuquerque will be
| hailed throughout theN country as the
only place where aviators are trained