Evening star., 1924-01-04
-FOUR ARMY FLYERS
|. CHOSEN TO CIRCLE
WORLD IN PLANES
Maj. Martin, Lieuts. Smith.
Wade and Nelson Win
Coveted HonorS.

Maj. Gen. Mason NJ. Patrick. chief
Of the air service, announced today
the names of four officers who will
endeavor to circle the globe in air.
planes next summer
They are: Maj. Frederick L. Martin,
comanding, who also is serving as
commanding officer Of Chanute Field,
Rantoul. ILL.,; Lieut.. Leigh Wade of
Boiling Field. Anacostia, d. c.; Lieut..
Erik H. Nelson Of McCook Field, Day.
ton, Ohio, and Lieut.. Lowell H. Smith
Of Crissey Field, Calf.
Lieut. Leslie P. Arnold, photograph
officer of Boiling Field. and Lieut.. Le-
Claire D. Schulze will serve as alter
mates.
Mai. Martin is a native of Indiana
During the world war he was de-
tailed to the aviation service and
served here and overseas. He re-
ceived his flying training at Boiling
Field and in Florida
Wade From Michigan.
Lieut.. Wade is a native of Michigan
and entered the aviation section,
Signal Corps, in December, 1917. He
served overseas and upon his return
was detailed as test pilot at McCook
Field, Dayton, Ohio, being transferred
to the local Army field in October.
| Lieut.. Nelson was born in Sweden
and by profession was an aeronau-
tical motor expert. He took up flying
during the war and has participated
L.. ~ yrb 1,,l; l;y,o = =,
Alaskan expedition in 1920 and the
Porto Rican fight of last year.
Lieut.. Smith is better known as a
member of the famous refueling-in-
flight team of Richter and Smith
Their latest achievement was to fly
from Canada to Mexico without a
stop, refueling while in flight He
Is a native of California, and has
been flying since 1917.
Plans Under Confederation.
Detailed plans for the flight are
being worked out by a committee
working under the direction of the
chief of the training and war plans
division, office Of the chief of all
service. The committee is composed
VI SaPl. w T. OldIuI. ITdnS-
portation and finance: Lieut.. St. Clair
Street,. route. maps, general organ
ization and information; Lieut. Rob-
ert ]. Brown, jr, chairman, organiza-
tion and coordination; Lieut.. Nelson
equipment and engineering; Lieut.
Clarence E.. Crumrine, equipment. en-
gineertnG and route. advance officer,
and Lieut.. Elmer e. Adler. supply.
The officers. flying Douglas trans
norris will oLa
the middle of March and proceed to
Seattle, WASH, where they will hop
on about the 1st of April, flying
northward along the coast of Can
ada and southern Alaska; across the
Aleutian Islands. down through the
possessions Of Japan; along the
shores of China, French Indo-China,
Siam and Burma; across India, up the
Persian gulf. across Turkey and
Europe to England; thence north
land; thence to Greenland and
southwark along the eastern shore
Of the continent to Cape Farewell,
Greenland, from which point direct
flight will be made, to Hamilton inlet,
on the Labrador coast; thence south
ward along the Canadian shore and
up the st. Lawrence river to Quebec
and Montreal, from which point the
flight will proceed south to Wash
fngton, the original point of de-
parture.
Purposes Explained.
The purposes of the proposed flight,
said the today. are to
gain for the air service added ex-
perience in long distance flying, and
particularly In the supply, problems
connected Herewith, to complete an
airplane fight around the world in
the shortest practicable time; to
demonstrate the feasibility of estab-
fishing an airway around the world.
and. incidentally, to secure for the
United States, the birthplace of Zero
nautics. the honor of being the first
country to encircle the world entire
iy by air" Much valuable informa-
tion on the difficulties of operating
aircraft in various climates Will also
be obtained.
The officers who were selected for
the fight are envied by every pilot
in the air service. From the. time
IL was announced the Army would
attempt a circumnavigation OF the
globe there was hustle and hustle
throughout the entire personnel for
selection for the trip. The task of
selecting these officers was one of
the most difficult ever placed before
the chiefAof the air service, for out
of several hundred experienced and