Phillips County herald., 1922-11-30
UNITED STATES
FLYERS IN lead.
Virtually Every World Air Record
Ct Any Consequence Is Held
in This Country.
INTEREST IS AGAIN REVIVED
One Years Record Proves That Fed
eraI Licensing Of PiIots Would
Have Saved Many Lives-Last
Year One Of Achievement.


Washington.-Th manner In which
America has assumed the leadership
in aviation over the rest of the world
comes rs surprise to those people
who were under the Impression that
Europe was leading the world In aero
nautics. From the time the Wright
brothers, in 1908, were able to demon
strate actual flying until the World
war broke out In 1914. European ma
tons made far greater progress in
aviation than did America.
II was not until 1917, when America
entered the war, that this nation was
compelled to begin the colossal task of
training engineers and creating pro-
ductipn facilities And with the ending
of the war, in 1918, the pressure which
freed this expansion was withdrawn,
and 1t was two years later, or last
year, before a marked increase in pub
lie interest was noticeable, and Ameri-
can aviators began to come into their
own again.
The year 1921 is marked by three
outstanding aviation events, one Of
universal and epochal Importance.
During June and July there were held.
100 miles off the Virginia capes, a
series of experiments in the course of
which aircraft flown from land bases
bombed and sank one after the other,
submarine. destroyer, light
cruiser, and dreadnought, the most
modern examples of warshlp construc-
ton.
In the autumn the conference ON the
limitation OF armament was held in
Washington, and it is asserted that
the bombing tests cleared the way,
more than any other single event. for
a possible solution of the international
competition in capital ship construc-
tlon.
Service Is Widespread.
The most valuable service which air
craft provides is speed. and this is es-
sential In the three classes of use ia
which aeronautics is catering, nation
nj, civic, and conimCseia'. Airplunes
nre now used for national defense. in
Guiding army. navy. Hnd .Aar,ne corps;
alr mall, forest patrol, coast guard.
cus,oE.s enl iesenas lice. warning
and relief In disaster In civic lines
they may be used for city planning.
read and building ean 'trucfion. rail-
and water terminal problems. and fire
and police zor!ng.
Tn commercial lines aerial craft nre
used for passenger service. freight
transportation. me rrger service In
banking. aerial photography. collection
and dissemination Of news. sport. and
pleasure, and comrlutlng. At the
lose Of 1921 there was total Of lac
Ok terminals, bo,n land and water,
within the United States.
One hundred anu twenty-five estab-
lished companies. operating 900 to 600
two and three place machines. made
130.736 fllglts, covering 2.eO7.2Ab
miles and carrying l22.5l2 passengers
In the IL months, October !. 1920. 70
October I. 1921. In making their re-
ports these companies were careful to
Itemixe forced landings and crashes.
Yet the number Of accidents In
which persons were killed or injured
totals but "a.
Analyxing the causes to which the
- accidents are attributed. II IL found
that Of the six fatalities. three were
due to "stunt" flying. two to gross
cnrelessness on the field. and one TO
storm. Not u single person. passen.
ger or pilot, lost his life In straight
commercial flying. With federal resu-
lntlon cDatrolling stunt" flying and
enforcing proper field policing and
protection. Il 10 believed certain most
OF these fatalities would hive been
avoided. OF tho 122.5i2 persons car.
rIed, only q were injured In flying
and In ground accidents.
should Llesnss Pllets.
u In estimated that during tho cnlcn'
dur year 1921. l.200 aircraft were en-.
gagged In civil flying In the United
States, nnd that these few G.iO0.0W
I0lIeH UUU CuIIteU ASys"Sv t'sH''s'Ts -
survey shows that ia accidents oc-
cured, not including those thnt In.
volved governmeAt.owned aircraft. The
ia accidents resulted In death 10 ~
persons and injury 10 80. OF the ia
accidents. 20 were attributed To the
pilot, which shows need for federal
examination and licensing of pilots.
virtually every world record Of nny
consequence IL. held In this country.
The worlds altitude record. speed
record around a circuit, senplnnc rec
ordr. endurance records. were NIL made
by American piists within the last
yenr. One million miles Of nir.fnnIl
nyinr without q fatality II another
record of the last year.
The army air service hrs perfected
,unnv rcw types Of combn' and bomb.
ing pinnes. ready for service. far sn'
rerlor 10 anything In Europe.