The Mellette County pioneer. [volume] (Wood, Mellette County, S.D.) 19??-1971, 1921-10-14

CleS, TO the point Wnere SUCCESS 10
assured. In consequence, Omaha is proudly claim.
ing to be Americas most progressive aVlatioh
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
n big reunion, the first since the World War. An
other is tC show everything in connection with
aviation, in order to interest the people of the
nation in flying. A third is to form a national
air body for the advancement Of aviation in Amer
lea. The big purpose is: Aviation supreme for
America
The formation of a national air body appears
TO be we'll under way, through preliminary organl-
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. Ruuyard
Kipling, years ago, wrote OF aircraft: we are
at the opening verse of tie opening page OF 'he
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 show IL
the way Of a transcontinenta 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-
cation.
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 or
large affairs want the organization of a national
air body and want it now.
Omaha's slogan was inspired by the Aero Club
- 1nn fDrp,nr ,ilntc
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
no more enthusiastic over aviation than any other
city. When it's citizens heard an airplane drOning
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 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? We'll, 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 nonrigid airships and lighter-than-air craft.
You never catch an Omahan these days saying
hydroplane when he means seaplane; he knows
that the former never leaves the water. And you
find him correctly using airplane, seaplane and
airship instead of aeroplane, hydro-aeroplane and
d~irigible. You may even overhear a conversation
about the captive helicopter. In short, everyone
in OMAHA appears TO be enthusiastic about avia.
ton In general and the coming congress in par.
ticclar.
President Porter went to his fellow cIubmen.
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 mace