Grainger County news. (Rutledge, Tenn.) 1917-current, 1922-06-07
AMERICA LEADS
IN AIR TRAFFIC
Ahead of France and Most Other
European Countries in Com
mercial Aviation.
DEVELOP PRACTICAL FLYING
United States on Top In Mileage and
Carried 100000 More Pounds in
1921 Than Did Franoe--Foreed
Stop Mastered.

Washlngton.-The United States is
leading France and most other Eyro-
pean countries in the practice of com
merclal aviation, 1t is showh in re-
ports to the Commerce department
throughout America
More than 1,713000 miles were
flown in the United States in 1921 by
air mail planes, which rank as com
mercial planes. Mail carried totaled
10000 pounds. The record for
France, just received by the Commerce
department, is as follows: Miles flown,
slightly more than 100000; mail car
ried, 21,000 pounds.
In mileage the American planes lead
France by nearly 25 per cent. In the
mail record American planes carried
55 times as much weight.
1t is customary for aviation enthu-
slasts to berate the development of
commercial aviation in the United
States in comparison with the use of
planes for business and pleasure pur-
poses in France. England, Germany
ana other places IN Europe.
Make Daily Trips.
Airplanes are running regularly be-
tween Paris, London and other Con-
.tinental points, tits emphasized, max
Ing trips daily ON schedule like rail-
road trains Much is made of the fact
that large numbers of passengers are
transported as well as baggage. Fly
Ing from London to Paris for lunch
and an afternoon In the shops Is said
TO be an everyday occurrence In
Europe. Wide publicity In given to the
numerous air trips taken by Premier
Lloyd George and other government
officials. ~
American flying men, calling atten-
ton to these reports, lament that the
flying machine, although invented and
developed In this country, is not being
developed for practical purposes.
The development of practical flying
Is taking place In the United States at
a greater rate than elsewhere. The
carrying Of mail is distinctly a COM
mercial practice and one for which
the airplane Is more properly fitted at
present than for the carrying of pas
sengers.
Airplanes carry mail now every day
from the Atlantic to the Pacific coast
at less cost than mail can be trans
ported on the railroads, but in Europe
the commercial airplane companies
have been unable to compete with
the railroads to any extent in the mat
ter Of passenger fares unless there is
taken into consideration the greater
speed of an air journey.
Onezrroblen Mastered.
Making careful observations of air
conditions, not In one section, but clear
across the continent, the Post Office
department is learning continually
what must be known to make COM
mercial flying more and more prac-
teal. The problem of the forced stop
has been almost completely mastered
by the postal flying department. Des-
pite storms and all kinds of adverse
weather conditions, the mail goes
through on schedule in the post office
planes, with such regularity that the
few delays are negligible.
The figures quoted for the mileage
Of French airplanes include those
flown In the carrying Of passengers
and baggage as well as mail. The
number Of passengers transported
throughout 1927 was only slightly in
excess of 10000. Transportation OF
passengers is the main business of the
French commercial planes. This phase
of commercial flying has been more
fully developed In France than in any
other country.
Much is made of the French success
in carrying passengers on schedule
and with but few accidents. If the
same degree of passenger carrying
were developed in the United States
as exists In France the total number
Of passengers carried would be only
about $4,000. The number of per
sons who travel by railroad in the
United States each year Is many mil
lions, and the development of pas
senger-carrying airplanes in this
country in the same degree of success
as has been attained in France would
provide for the transportation of less
than one per cent of those who wish
to travel.