The Adair County news. [volume] (Columbia, Ky.) 1897-1987, 1921-02-09
U. S. MAINTAINS
AIR LEADERSHIP
Good Performances Offset De-
creased Production and
Contraction of Industry.
LONG FLIGHTS SUCCESSFUL
Clear Federal Policy to Aid Progress
Of Commercial Flying Is Still
Lacking-Year's Feats Are
Recorded.

New York.-America has success
fully maintained her leadership in the
navigation Of the air, so far as heavier
than air craft are concerned, despite
the lack Of aerial laws, landing fields
and other such handicaps, according
to a review of the year 1920, issued
by the Manufacturers Aircraft assO-
citation. The review says:
Decreased production and a gen.
eral contraction in the aerOnauticaL
industry generally is offset by the
more encouraging records of perform
ance made in American aviation this
year. While the last twelve months
have not brought the carefully out
lined policy of federal Jurisdiction re-
quired to assure steady and economical
progress In commercial aviation, they
have witnessed many remarkable
achievements by American pilots in
American machines"
Years Performances.
Then follows a long, detailed list
of performances, among them the fol-
lowing:
Commander A. G. Read, hero of
the transatlantic flight In the EC-4,
commanded the same flying boat on q
noteworthy expedition from lick
away, L. l., down the Atlantic coast,
along the gulf coast and up the Mis-
sissippi river to Cairo, III. When the
NC-4 returned to ROckaway January
q last 1t had flown 7,740 Nautical
miles. Three of the four Packard
Liberty engines had operated Without
trouble during the 11s hours in the
air, the fourth more than eighty-twO
hours. Along the Mississippi the
motors were run on commercial gasO-
line picked up from point to point en-
route. Read reported that the great
est difficulty encountered was lack of
proper maps.
Compared to lOng-f1ight attempts
conducted by European governments
the American ventures were particu-
larry successful. No less than four
expeditions attempted to fly the 5,2O6
miles from Cairo to CapetOwn, South
Africa. Colonel P. Van Ryndveld
and Major c. ]. o. Brand finally COM
pleted their flight on March 90 1920,
in DH-9 plane sent up by the gov
eminent of the Union of South Africa
after their Vickers-Vimy machine had
crashed. They had set out from Cairo
February 10.--NOne of the machines
that started reached Capetown.
Different success attended the
Alaskan flying expedition of the Unit
ed States Army Air service. Four
Gallaudet remOdelIed DH-4-B planes,
each powered with single Liberty
motor, and each carrying two per-
sons flew from Mitchell Field. L. l., to
Nome, Alaska, and return in 112 hours
flying time, a total distance of 1900
miles, without a motor missing fire or
other accident serious enough to de-
lay the party. Rain and fog caused
most of the difficulty in flying over
country not even charted on the maps.
Operation of Air Mail Service.
1.-THE Air Mail in 1920 operating be-
tween New York and Washington,
New York, Cleveland, Chicago, Omaha,
Salt Lake City and San Francisco,
transported approximately one hun
dred million letters at ordinary pos
tage rates. The system was extended
in 1920 from Chicago to San Francis
co, from Key West, Fla, to Havana,
Cuba, and from Seattle, Wash, to Vic
toria, B. c. About thirty-five air mail
planes are In the air each day flying
a total, in round trips, of about $500
miles.
During the year the navy has been
making an aerial survey of the Pana-
ma Canal zone.
''The geological survey has cooper
ated with the marine corps in mapping
the cOastline of Hayti. American sea-
planes, Curtiss, AerOmarine and Boo
ing types, have operated on passenger
routes in China.
Major r. ". Schroeder, flying an
American designed and built Packard
LeperO biplane, went up from McCOok
Field, Dayton, Ohio, on February 26,
and reached the worlds record alti-
tude of $4,000 feet"