Middletown transcript., 1921-10-15

assured In consequence, Omaha is proudly clalnl-
ing to be Americas most progressive avlation
center.
The purposes Of the congress are praiseworthy.
The congress itself is likely to be OF great ill.,
portance
One purpose is to bring the flyers together LOT
a big reunion, the first since the World War; An
other is to show everything in connection with
aviation in order to interest the people OF the
nation in flying. A third is to form national
air body for the advancement of aviation In Amer
ica The big purpose is: Aviation supreme Tor
America"
The formation of a national air body appears
to be well under way, through preliminary organi-
cations in the states. At this writing twenty-five
states are forming state organizations of the con-
gress and will be: represented by delegates.
That there is necessity for the formation Of such
a body seems hardly open to argument kuoyaro
Kipling, years ago, wrote OF aircraft: I'VE are
at the opening verse of the opening page OF tne
chapter of endless possibilities" We have read
far beyond that now and the march OF events
forces us to keep on turning the leaves, II we
would keen our place in the forefront OF the pro-
cesson of the nations.
In the opinion of those who seem best qual1hed
to know, the United States has not kept abreast
with other countries in the development of avia-
tion, especially in the matter OF development OF
airways For example, the best we can show In
d
ing the general line of Cleveland. Chicago. OMAHA
Reno and San Francisco. The experts declare 1t
to he not more than 10 per cent complete in organt
zaiion. y.
An essential of the success Of big business Is
imagination. Imagine. if you can, what the part
Of aviation in the life of the nation will be five
years from now. It is no wonder that men OF
large affairs want the organization OF national
air body and want it now.
Omaha's slogan was inspired by the Aero Club
Of O'',ha. an organization of 100 former pilots
and observers Of the World War. Nevertheless,
all the city is talking aviation these days. Three
months ago IF course. it was not so. Omaha was
no more enthusiastic over aviation than any other
city. When its citizens heard an airpane droning
overhead they gazed skyward for moment 9th
erwise they were uninterested.
Then Earl w. Porter, president of the Aero
Club of Omaha. conceived the idea Of the con-
gress and went to work on it. Now aviation is in
the blood of the citizens They talk Of the many
phases of air travel with the nonchalance of aces
In other cities the people may call anything that
traverses the air an airship But not so in Omaha;
they rightly use the word aircraft. DO you hear
blimp in Omaha? Well. hardly. Omaha knows
that blimp is not only slang. but obsolete slang,
whereas people in other cities still applying
the word indiscrimnately to ell balloons rigid
ard nonrgid airships and iighter-than-air craft
You never catch an Omahan these days saying
hydrOplane when ne means Seaplane; ne Knows
that the former never leaves the water. And you
find him correctly using airplane, seaplane and
airShip instead Of aeroplane. hydro7aerOpane and
dirigible You may even o.erhear conversation
about the captive helicopter. In short, everyone
in Omaha appears to he enthusiastic about avia-
tfon in general and the coming congress in par.
ticular.
President Porter went to his fellow clubmen
They indorsed his idea and his plans and pledged
their support. They also fixed on him as the ugi-
cal head Of the movement and he was duly made