Evening star., 1924-12-24
NAIL AIRPLANE SERVICE SHOWS
EXCELLENT RECORD OF SAFETY
One Fatality in 800, 900 Miles of Night Flying, None
100000 by Day-PiIots
Don't Talk.

result that it caught in the tail OF
the ship and was torn from his
body. An air mail pilot would not
jump unless 1t was impossible to
bring his ship down in some fashion,
hence Col Henderson believes the
controls locked. Each pilot carries
two parachute flares. which, after
slowly settling TO earth at the end
of a tiny chute, light up an area
for more than square mile. Even
If Pilot Gilbert's motor had failed,
it Is believed he had sufficient al
titude in which TO come down in
that particular fiat territory with
the aid of flare.
Forced Landings Made.
Since the regular night flying was
inaugurated there have been AT
forced landings at night, 43 of which
have been on emergency fields pro-
vided along the line of flight and
three in other places, but there has
not been q "Washout" or complete
demolition of the plane. Until re-
Gently slim Lewis, one of the crack
pilots, was the only one who hadn't
been forced to put down at night, but
a short time later he had to come TO
earth after dark near Kansas City.
In some instances the pilots have
learned the tricks Of fog in their re-
spective territories. Lying in huge
banks and in an east-west direction,
the pilot plunges through, hoping to
make clear weather again. When his
fuel. supply gets down to about an
hour he takes no more chances and,
kicking the rudder, turns at right
angles and proceeds either north or
south, for he knows that within a
81 nrf ha ha nf
row but long strip.
Winds. Icy winds, from New York
to Omaha in the past few days have
done their best TO hold back the
DeH's. Sometimes they aid the pilot,
as in the case Of one who flew from
Bellefonte, Pa. to New York in one
hour and fourteen minutes as against
two hours and twenty minutes time
required in still air. Then, again. it
took another pilot eight hours to
get from Chicago to Omaha, an or
binary four-hour-and- -fifteen-minute
flight. He was bucking wind Of
about the same velocity that perched
on the tail OF the Eastern ship.
Worst Leg In East.
Col Henderson believes the worst
leg OF the transcontinental service is
between New York and Cleveland.
Fog is plentiful and mountains,
although low, are tree-covered.
forced landing in a forest means a
more or less ''washout." In the
Rockies the peaks are not covered
and a fat space usually can be found.
Just short time ago a pilot was
battling strong winds over these
ranges and just as he was about
declared victor over the elements his
fuel supply was SO low he was forced
TO come down.
He settled into a small open space
so small, in fact. that he couldn't get
out again and IT was necessary to
knock the plane down and carry 1t to
the nearest railroad for shipment to
its airdome. The mall. however, SUI
fered very little delay.
The remarkable fying OF these pi-
lots is being done in wartime prod
ucts rebuilt for carrying mail. The
ships are the same type as used by
the Army for observation work. With
in two years. however, a new feet OF
planes will be in operation from New
York TO San Francisco. Col. Hender-
son predicted. Bids are to be opened
some time In March, II Is understood,
for new Equipment, but delivery will
require a long time.