Evening star., 1925-01-01
NEW AIR ATTEMPTS
HALTED FOR FUNDS
World Flight Expenses, Near
$500, 600, Hold Up Projects
for a While.

The hope chest of the Army Air
Service, containing suggestions for
new couquests of the air in many
parts of the world has been smashed.
Its condition now is such that at least
six or seven months will pass before
Its top can be lifted and a scheme of
any sort extracted for serious con-
sideration.
Maj. Gen. Mason NJ. Patrick, Chief
of the Air Service and promoter of
the successful world flight, recognizes
the existing situation and is willing
. wait awhile before he approves
new expedition by army aviators into
still unexplored air routes. This de-
cisfon, in part, at least was COM
PEELED by results of the world flight.
Cost Put at 100000.
While the books have not been
completely balanced, officers familiar
with the financial phases of the globe
encircling flight estimate that the
costs of that record breaking achieve
ment. expressed in dollars, will total
100000. Indirect costs, including eX-
penses of naval patrols and co-opera-
ton fuel. transportation of supplies
and material used by the flyers them
selves, will amount at least to an
other 100000 and probably more.
The money outlay caused much OF
the damage to the hope chest Con-
gress must provide again before any
extended plans for new conquests can
he approved. Then, too, there is
general feeling throughout the Army
Air Service that it has demonstrated
it's fitness and given a practical eNhl-
bition of its willingness to try NTH
erto impossible things such as enclrc-
ling the world negotiating nonstop
flights across the continent, piercing
the ceiling of the sky in altitude
tests and setting up its full share of
speed records.
Many Plans offered.
Nevertheless, there is a continuous
movement on the part of air service
personnel to have such experiments
carried forward regularly. From
these sources suggestions for all sorts
of flights are reaching those in charge
of the air service headquarters here
Usually the plans are accompanied
by volunteer offers in writing trans
mitted by the originators and re-
questing permission to attempt what
ever project has been suggested.
One of the suggested projects which
will be found close to the top of the
chest" when it is reopened, as II
probably will be some day, is that
of a proposed flight from the west
coast to Hawaii. 1t may be that this
proposal will be given serious study
next Spring or Summer. Army flyers
realize, however, that the Pacific. be-
cause of the order of things existing
between the land and naval forces,
is essentially a Navy problem,
therefore they may leave the Hawaii
flight to the Navy aviators if the
latter wish to undertake 1T.
Viewed aS Practical
Army pilots interested in the pro-
ject believe it would be both a prac-
tical and a valuable undertaking.
Greater distances than that from the
California coast to Hawaii already
have been successfully negotiated by
air, but never over water eXpanse
of that size without stop. 1t has
been claimed that the distance, great
as it is, would be discounted to the
flyers advantage by favorable trade
winds and that this condition, to-
gether with the assistance of sur
face patrol along the line of flight,
would go far toward removing much
of danger from a project that other
wise would be more or less hazard
Gus.
Another flight regarded as pos
sibility but admittedly a more remote
venture involves a trip from some
point on the East and West coasts of
the United States to Cape Horn and
return. SO far as is known Cape Horn
has never been Circumnavigated by
air, nor has any aviator yet taken
a machine down either coast of South
America and returned by way of the
opposite shore line.
Aroused Wide Interest.
Such a venture would be more than
a novel affair. The success of the
flight made last year from the Canal
Zone to the five capitals of Central
America aroused widespread interest
throughout the Pan-American repub-
lies and officials of the Washington
government have said it demonstrated
in a practical and striking way the
close relations and means of COM
munication between the countries of
North and Central America.
In the event it is ever decided to
attempt the American air eX-
pedition, it is felt the results would
he even more widespread and the
application more general, linking as
1t would the Central, South and
North American republics into one
project. All of the Pan American
countries it is certain. would be in
cIuded in the itinerary and, it is
believed, all would readily pledge
their cooperation whenever ap-
preached on this subject by the State