New-York tribune., 1921-05-31
Chaos in the Air

of seven noted airmen, when the
aerial ambulance in which they were
flying was caught by treacherous
wind and crashed to earth before
its pilot could regain control, has
once more brought vividly to the at
tention of the country lessons that
have been persistently ignored. These
are:
First-The need Of a unified gov
ornment department controlling all
aeronautical enterprises and placed
in the hands of practical experts in
aeronautical science and active avi-
ators.
Second-The need of uniform
aerial laws for the country, based
upon the international air naviga-
tion convention which the Wilson
Administration refused to ratify.
Out of details CLEANED from wit.
nesses of the disaster it is clear that
it could have been obviated had the
machine been sufficiently high in the
air to enable Lieutenant Ames, its
pilot, to complete the maneuvers
necessary to regain control. The un-
fortunate pilot cannot in any way be
blamed for not flying at what would
in this case hav!. been a safe alti-
tude, because he had not been
warned that the terrific storm
which struck the flying ambulance
was expected.
For more than two years men
actively interested in aviation have
been urging the establishment of
separate department of aeronautics
in the national government at Wash
ington, both as matter Of safety
and economy. Had such a depar
ment been established we alreat =
would have had meteorological Sc.
ice specialized in forecasting for avi-
ators, as well as complete system
Of wireless communication that
would have kept pilots of aircraft
fully informed of the approach Of
storms.
In this case amp'2 warning of the
storm would have been flashed to
Lieutenant Ames, and he would have
gone to an altitude of more than six
thousand feet or else have landed
at the first convenient field. An air.
plane, If it is high enough, can safely
weather storm in the air. Should
sudden gust of wird throw it into
a spin or a side-slip it's pilot can
always emerge from his perilous
position, provided ne has sufficient
air room. Had we comprehensive
code of Federal aerial laws covering
every phase Of air navigation, the
flying ambulance probably would not
have been allowed to take the air
under the conditions of it's fatal
fight.
When we consider also the recent
tragedy at Paterson, N. j., in which
q woman passenger and the pilot of
an exhibition machine were instantly
killed as a result of a crash, the
need Of air laws becomes even more
apparent. Three separate investiga-
tions into that fatal accident have
just been completed. They show
that the machine was one built dur
ing the war for training purposes,
and that it had been in four previous
crashes. 1t had been repaired bv
amateur mechanics and had been
left standing unprotected through
the winter months.
In all OF the countries that have
ratified the international air nayi-
CATION convention and also enacted
local air laws no machine can take
the air under any circumstances
until it has received a certificate of
air-worthiness, much in the same
manner as steamship must obtain
certificate of sea-worthiness before
1t is permitted to carry passengers
on the high seas. In addition to this
no pilot is permitted to fly until
after he has passed rigid mental
and physical tests. as we'll as tests
of his ability to pilot aircraft of
many types.
AT the present time we arc the
only civilized nation in the world
which does not regulate its flying
commerce. Any one can go into tho
air and endanger the lives Of his
fellow men by flying low over cities
without any restraint Of law with
the exception Of the ordinances of
A