The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1920-05-30
MUST ARRANGE
FLYING RULES
LOCAL RULES IN REGARD TO
LANDING FIELDS SHOULD FOL-
LOW BROAD GENERAL PLAN.


The great increase in civilian flying
throughout the United States since
the beginning of good weather this
year is one of the strongest argu-
ments in favor Of the passage i'm
mediately of federal laws regulating
aviation, according to e. de B. New
man.
Mr. Newman recently pointed out
that unless the federal government
took steps at once toward providing
uniform air rules the states and cities
themselves will attempt to solve the
problem, with the result that a my
raid of varying and conflicting laws,
good and bad, will spring up through
out the country. This would cripple
aviation here, he warned.
Great Britain is ahead of us in reg
ulating airplanes,' he said. CAS- a re-
suit her pilots and her manufacturers
both have an advantage over US, and
aviation, already safe, is made safer.
Just how this law operates is shown
by the recent summoning and timing
of pilot for violation Of six counts
Of the air navigation act. These in
Guided flying a machine without Brit
ish markings, not verified as air
worthy, and not inspected on the day
of the flight. The pilot could not
plead ignorance because the act was a
national regulation. But if forty
eight states make their own laws re-
garding, for example, state licenses.
heights to be maintained over cities,
stunt flying, inspection, and many 9TH
err matters, hopeless confusion and con-
sequent discourag cement of aviation
will result.
Already local restrictions are
springing up. -Four aviators, three army
officers and the president of flying
club, were arrested recently in Bos-
ton for landing on Revere Beach with
out a permit. If even army fliers-
disregarding civilians for the moment
are to be arrested when they land in
one or another of the hundreds of
American cities because they do not
know every regulation of that particu-
lar place, aviation will not flourish
in the United States.
How disastrous in the event of war
would be lack of a flourishing avia-
ton industry in peace times is mat
ter which is so vivid that it may be
left to the imagination. Suffice it to
say that every civilized country is en-
couraging peace flying.
II may be said that state regula-
ton of automobiles has not prevented
the growth of that industry. The
answer is that no possible legislative
stupidity can kill either flying or au
tomobiling, industry has not been per-
ceptibly aided, may say by the vary
ing state laws.
Comparison of the airplane with the
automobile is a mistake. There are
now in the air planes and dirigibles far
larger and carrying far heavier loads
than an automobile can possibly, and
in the future they will be vastly great
err ones. The airplane is not an auto
mobile of the air, it is a ship, and like
the ship it can be regulated adequately
only by the federal government.
1.-THE sooner congress enacts suitable
Legislation SO that the public, both
on the ground and in the air, is pro-
tected universally from reckless fly,
ing, unairworthy ships, repressive or
foolish local restrictions, incompetent
pilots, and other dangers or annoy
ances, the sooner the era of the air
will come