Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1921-10-14


asSured In consequence Omaha is proudly claim
ing to be Americas most progressive aviation
center.
The purposes of the congress are praiseworthy.
The congress itself is likely to be OF great I'M
portance.
one purpose is to bring the flyers together for
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 or the
nation in flying third is to form natlonal
air body for the advancement of aviation In Amer
lea. The big purpose is: Aviation supreme TOT
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. Rudyard
sTipling Years ago, wrote of aircraft: I'VE are
at the opening verse of the opening page of the
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 keep our place in the forefront Of the pro-
cessiOn OF the nations.
In the opinion of those who seem best qualified
to know the United States has not kept abreast
with other countries in the development of avia-
ton, especially in the matter of development OF
airwayS For example, the best we can snow ID
the way of transcontinental route is that follow
ing the general line of Cleveland Chicago, Omaha,
Reno and San Francisco. The experts declare it
to be not more than 40 per cent complete in organt
zatiOn.
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 1t 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 Omaha organization of 100 former pilots
and observers of the World War. Nevertheless,
all the city is talking aviation these days. Three
months ago. of course it was not so. Omaha was
nc more enthusiastic over aviation than any other
CITY, When it's citizens heard an airplane dronng
overhead they gaZed skyward for a moment. 9th
erwise they were uninterested.
Then Earl w. Porter, president of the Aero
Club of Omaha, conceived the idea of the
gress and went to work on it. Now aviation is in
fhe 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
bIimp in Omaha? Well, hardly. Omaha knows
that blimp is not only slang, but obsolete slang,
whereas people in other cities are still applying
the word indiscriminately to all balloons, rigid
ard nonrigd airships and lighter-than-air craft
You never catch an Omahan these days saying
hydropane when he means seaplane; he knows
that the former never leaves the water And you
find him correctly using airpane seaplane and
airstGp instead of aeropane, hydro-aeroplane and
dfrigible. You may even Overhear conversation
about the captive helicopter In short, everyone
in Omaha appears to be enthusiastic about aya-
ton 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 logi-
cal head of the movement and he was duly made