The New York herald. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1920-1924, 1922-04-09
Maior-Gen. Patrick Makes In
specti0n Trip Of Wide
Range in Five Days.
POSTAL SERVICE SAFER
Miss Miami Wreck Shows the
Need of Laws to Regu-
late Aviation.

a practical demonstration OF the value
| OF the airplane as a time saver was
given recently by Major-GeL, Mason NJ.
/ Patrick. Chief of Air Service. when,
within Ave days. he inspected nine great
| flying fields of the Southwest, bomb
ing and gunnery range. an air service
depot and the helium plant at Fort
Worth. At three stations Gen. Patrick
made practically day long inspection.
The total mileage covered from field to
field by airplane was LINE hundred
miles.
Just how much time Gen. Patrick
saved by travelling by plane instead Of
by railroad 1t is not possible to esti-
mate. owing to the fact that he gained
not alone in the trips from place 10
place In Texas ard Oklahoma. but also
in the actual inspection work at the big
fields which he surveyed. by air Some
idea OF the saving may be had, now
ever, from the fact that on what was
probably the longest flight from san
Antonio to Dallas, he covered the 40
miles in two hours and fifteeE minutes,
a speed OF more than two miles min
ute.
San Antonio, where by earth and by air
he looked over Kelly Fields Nos. l and
2. Brooks Field and the Air Service
depot and witnessed an aerial review.
He also looked over Camp Stanley from
the air. observing the bombing and gum
merry ranges. These inspections consumed
two OF the Ave days.
Off for More Inspections.
The Air Service chief then hoped"
to Love Field. Dallas Post Field, Fort
Sill. Okla: the helium plant at Fort
Worth. Barron and Taliaferro fields. at
Fort Worth: Call Field, near Wichita
Falls. In the flight from Post Field TO
Ellington Field Houston, bad weather
prevented flying in the morning. and
even when the two machines OF the in
spection party started out at 80 the
ceiling was at 5000 feet and detour
toward Fort Worth was necessary to
escape rain storms. heavy banks OF
clouds and tornadoes TO the east. The
planes passed two rain storms and then
at Fort Worth dove into the dark
clouds and zigzagged through to Dallas,
where the ships beat heavy downpour
by minutes and laid up for the night.
Next morning start in the rain was
made for Ellington Field and the bad
swift ships. Gen. Patrick flew in De
Haviland Alb. plloted by Major II. A.
Dargue, and Lieuts. Durks and Dunton
OF Kelly Field escorted them in a similar
ship.
Air Mail Service Safer.
There has been vast increase in the
safety factor of the air mail service a
comparison OF figures clearly demon
strates. In the last million miles flown
following the appointment of VIII II.
Hays as Postmaster General, there has
been only one fatality.
In the last fiscal year there were sew
enteen fatalities in 1,770.000 miles. The
Post Office Department now has So
planes In flying condition and 90 UNDER
going repairs. From July /, 1921. to
January 81. 1922. 1.02s.056 miles were
travelled. 25.496.560 letters were carried,
the percentage of trips completed was
1912 per cent. and 81 ships daily aver
aged a total OF $500 miles.
The fatality occurred on July 16. when
a pilot crashed on his home field at San
Francisco after flying from Reno. The
IL fatalities, an average OF / for every
104.156 miles. consisted or 10 pilots and
mechanics. The Safety First" cam
paign OF the late Col. Shaughnessy is
believed responsible for the big improve
ment.
Sees Need for Air Laws.
The disaster of Miss Miami, the flying
boat in which five persons were drowned
when the machine was compelled to
alight on the ocean during a fight be-
tween Miami and Bimini. is a startling
reminder to Congress OF the need for air
laws. according to Aviation, an aero
nautical periodical
Steamships and motor boats are sub
ject to Government inspection and 20 the
observance of safety rules, yet civil air
craft have been operating for the last
two years without having to fulfill any
such requirements" AGITATION says, In
recommending the passage OF the wads-
worth Hicks BILL which has the indorse-
ment Of civil and military air authori-
ties.
The desirability OF providing by law
for at least three distress signals such
as hand-operated Klaxon, a Very pis-
tol for discharging flares and small
collapsible signalling mast. Is urged.
Aviation Progress ins France.