The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1926-03-18

Always can be provided so that
q convenient landing field is always
available in case of trouble. Radio
and telegraph may warn Of storms
and fogs so that they can be avoid
ed. For night flying the route can
be lighted up so as to afford az
much safety as during the day
time. Commercial planes themselves
should be designed with all regard
to safety by providing them with
the means to land very slowly and
get off the ground quickly; by con-
structing them so they will not lose
speed quickly and fall.
The British air ministry in re-
porting the progress of civil avia-
ton shows that from May, 1919, to
March 81, 1925, the number of acct
dents involving the death OF pas
sengers in air transport flying was
four and the mileage flown was
1858, 900 miles. This would give
one fatal accident for each 924 500
miles flown, distance equal to go
ing 81 times around the earth at
the equator.
Infantry Safer Than Air
Military airplanes, on the other
hand, while embodying as many
safety factors as possible, must be
primarily designed to inflict the
greatest possible damage on enemy
planes. Safety must be disregarded
somewhat in favor OF velocity and
power and in many cases risks
must be taken that would not be
warranted in commercial aviation
where the carrying of passengers Is
the principal concern. i
In war. safety must often be OF
minor consideration. This may
seem cold blooded. but II four or
five of the enemy's planes can be
destroyed for one Of ours lost, we
would be warranted in losing the
one airplane, because 1t would save
our men in the end. In military
aviation, therefore, the factors OF
safety as they are called are
strained to the limit. The utmost
speed is obtained in pursuit avia-
ton, the greatest carrying power in
the bombers,. so as to get the big
gest bombs possible up in the air.
In other types, where long distance
is the desired end, everything else is
subordinated to carrying the maxi
mum amount Of fuel.
Most Dangerous Fighting
Undoubtedly air fightin& II the
most dangerous form Or combat,
because once the battle goes against
he falls fifteen or twenty thousand
feet and that is the end OF 1t. II
a man in the infantry is wounded,
he is already on the ground and
has a chance of being rescued and
Of recovering.
Only few men are used in
military air work as compared with
work on the ground, but the per-
centage of losses is much heavier
in the air force than in any other
branch In addition to the dangers
incurred in their actual work
against the enemy, the flyers are
subject to great hazards when not
fighting from the very nature Of
their calling.
The following figures, which
were compiled in 1920, show what
the comparative losses were among
the actual fighting officers in these
branches:
2O3 In 1000 Killed
For each 1000 aviators who
served on the front against the
enemy about 154 were killed. or
the front about 40 were killed, max
ing a total of 200 killed on and off
the front out OF every 1000.
I'M the infantry out of every 1000
officers on the front, 101 were
killed; off the front about u OF /,
making a total, on and off the
front, of about 1919 per 1000
just half the number that were
killed in the air service. 81
The artillery had very few casual
ties. Out of every 1000 on the
front about 13 were killed. Off the
front a little over II of 1, making
total Of about ID per 1.000-or
one-fourteenth as much as the avia-
ton death rate.
These figures do not take into &C.
count the great number of pilots
who were crippled or manned, bu.
deaths.
High Death Rate in Peace
In time of peace during the year
1919, 4S.7S officers out of every
1000 were killed in aviation.
Figures from reports compiled over
a 10-year period show that in 1919
in all the other arms Ia officers
"OAO hAAACA O0b VA CFCl yOVUt LuG
death rate in aviation being SO
times greater than in all the other
services.
The causes OF accidents in the air
are officially analysed by the air
service. <This analysis does not
show what the principal trouble is,
because In the American service II
has been due primarily to the obso-
lete and dangerous aIrplanes which
our men have been made to fly.
The DH alrplane with Its gaso-
line tank Immediately behind the
engine IN. actually the flaming coffin
that itS nickname implies. In case
Of an accident II the pilot hits the
ground hard, nose on, with this
ship, II bursts into flames like a
bomb shell and the pilot and pas.
senger ARE immediately consumed.
BY standing In the way Of the or
gnniZhtion> Of hn Independent air
service, devoted ~ the best interests
Of aviation. the Army and Navy are
directly responsible for keeping this
dangerous equipment.
Not Allowed to Phone
Our weather service Is SO bad
that IL II seldom we receive warn
ings Of storms sufficiently far ahead
OF time to avoid them. Pilots fly-
ing into them with the poor equip
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