The daily times. [volume] (Wilson, N.C.) 1902-1936, 1919-05-16
AIR MAIL
CELEBRATION
One Year of Successful Flight
Between New York and
Washington.
GREAT FLYING RECORD
GREAT FLYING RECORD


tai air mail service between Wash
ington and New York, rounded
out it's first year of successful oper-
alton today and in celebration of
the event Postmaster General Bur
leson, General C.. T. Menoher, head
of the department of Military Aer-
onautics, and Brig. General L. E.
o. Charlton, Air Attache' of the
British Embassy, together with 9TH
er officers of the British and Ameri-
can air services, attended the ami
versary flight of the air mail plane
from College Park today. Colonel
Harts of the army and Major Frank
, of the Department of Military Aer-
onautics, flew from Boiling Field
to College Park in Martin bomb
plane to attend the ceremonies.
The air-distance between New
York and Washington covered by
the mail fliers is 21S miles Here are
some of the remarkable records of
flying made by air mail pilots in
the past year: m-e,J
Dana c. Hart flew 1s1, legs of
the New York-Washington route
covering a distance 1880 miles. OF
, these flights 179, covering dis
tance of 20,324 miles, were made
| without forced landings. In his en-
| tire years service he had but
! seven forced landings and five uns
completed flights.
Robert F.. Shank made 1873
| flights covering 14,334 miles of
these, 129 flights, covering 1900
landings. In his years service he
| had but three forced landings and
! five incomplete flights.
| E. V. Gardner flew 1O2 legs,
covering 11,422 miles. OF these 81
flights, covering 1O,s58 miles, were
| made without forced landing He
had a total Of three forced land
ings and two uncomplete flights
Max Muller flew 80 legs covering
9,242 miles with out a single fore
ed landing or an uncomplete flight
in his record.
OF the military fliers while the
army operated the air mail service
during the first three months of its
history, Lieutenant J. C.. Edgerton
made 53 flights covering 7,15E
miles. OF these SO were made with
| ont q forood Jondinn II;e rooorf
is a single forced landing and nj
incomplete flights.
i Other records of flights withou
forced landings were: Leon D.
Smith, 81 legs, covering 1911
miles, Lawton v. Smith, AS leg
covering 1856 miles; E. Hamilton
Lee, 81 legs covering 1888; mile
Ira o. Biffle, SO legs, covering 9,
191 miles, and Charles E. Bradley
26 legs, covering 1924 miles.
Otto Praeger, the Second Assist
ant Postmaster general who has jur
isdlction over the air mail service to
: day submitted to Postmaster Genera
Burleson his first annual report OF
| CAO ok SSIN1CO, anu 1t Is one OF tn
most interesting official reports ev
er made by a Government Off
cial.
Trial flights said Mr.. Praeger'
. report. "were made to establish tn
practicability for commercial wor
of the De Haviland airplane, whfc
became available upon the signin
of the armistice, but it was foun
that this plane, designed wwholl
for war purposes, lacked the strengt
necessary for daily cross-countr
flights, with incidental forced Ian6
, ings
1t was then decided to modify thes
war planes, and, after some della
: aeronautica1 engineers have devele
= ped strong and powerful plan
which can still retain all the exec
lent flying qualities of the De Ha,
!, Hand machine.