The Idaho Springs siftings-news., 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 of the
nation in flying A third is to form national
air body for the advancement of aviation in Amer
lea The big purpose is: Aviation supreme for
America
The formation of 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
Kipng, 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 if
wculd 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-
tion, especially in the matter of development of
airways. For example, the best we can show In
the way of a transcontinenal route is that follow
fng the general line of Cleveland, Chicago, Omaha,
Reno and San Francisco The experts declare it
zaiOn.
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. 1t is no wonder that men of
large affairs want the organization of national
air body and want it now.
Omaha's slogan inspired by the Aero Club
of Omaha, an organization of 100 former pilots
and observers OF the World War. Nevertheless
all the city is talking aviation these days Three
tI,c nf was NOT 0n1a ba
no more enthusiastic aviation than any other
city. When its citizens heard airplane droning
overhead they gazed skyward for a moment. 9th
erwise they were unnterested.
Then Earl w. Porter president of the Aero
Club of Omaha, conceived the idea of the CON
gress and went to work 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 airship But not so in Omaha
they rightly the word aircraft. Do you hear
blimp in Omaha? Well, hardly. Omaha knows
that bmp is not only slang. but obsolete slang
whereas people in other cities are still APPLYING
the word ndiscriminately to all balloons rigid
nrd nonrigid airships and ghter-than-air craft
You catch an Omahan these days saving
hydroplane when he means seaplane; he knows
that the former never leaves the water. And you
airship instead Of aeropIane, hydro-aeroplane and
dIrIgible You may even overhear a conversation
about the captive helcopter In short everyone
In Omaha appears to be enthusiastic about ava-
tion In general and the coming congress in par
ucuiar
President Porter went to his fellow clubmen
They ndorsed his idea and his plans and pledged
their support They also fixed on him the iogi-
-a head of the movement and he was duly mace