New Britain herald., 1926-12-31
GREAT PROGRESS
 IN AERIAL WORK
Notable Exploits Take Place
 During the Year

Washington, Dec. 31 tR - Sub- stantlal progress in the develop ment of aviation, both commercial and military, together with several notable exploits of flying, including flights respectively by an airplane and a dirigible over the north pole, was recorded during 1926.
 While the United States took the lead in the private ownership and operation of aircraft and is we'll in the front rank in the technical de- velopment of military aircraft, it Was a notable feature of the avia- tion progress in 1926 that Euro- pean nations, especially the Latin countries, made enormous strides Ill their flying development.
 There is a pessimistic note, how ever, in American aviation circles in the comparison of American and European commercial use of air. planes. While the United States commercial flying has displayed encouraging development, in E,u- rope large airplanes, engaged in commercial and passenger carrying flights, are being used extensively mainly supported by governmental subsidies. Passenger carrying serv- ices in the United States have not been usually financially successful and aviation in this country must largely pay it's own way, but the government is endeavoring to pave the way by establishing and main- taining airways without resorting to the subsidy policy.
 A note of the future progress of commercial aviation is sounded in the plan of the post office depart ment to turn over it's air mail routes entirely to private compan- ies in 1927. Aviation authorities claim that the main problem, fac ing the flying industry to place it on a self-supporting basis is to es- tablish substantial reductions in cost of construction, operation and maintenance, together with better. mcnt of the safety of aerial navi- gation.
 Probably as an index for the rosy future of aviation ill America the notable feature of 1926 was the claritication of aerOnautiCal lcgisla- tion, including the appointment of aviation secretaries in the depart ments of commerce, navy and war and the five-ycar programs for the army and navy air corps.
 What the Coolidge administration thinks of aviation is expressed in the increase of the air budget of the government by $7,210,000 for 1928. despite the administration policy of economy. The president recommended to congress, appro- priations of s523, ,000, an increase Of S10,000 for the national advisory committee on aeronautics; army, S24,39G,300, an increase of S4,0o0,- coo; navy. S4,S55,S50, a S2o0,000 increase, and commerce, $3,219, 800, an increase of s3,000,000.
 Three flights to the north pole .were cssayed in 1926. two of them successful, one by an American in an airplaue and another by a Nor wegian in a dirigible. From Jan uary to May Captain George Will kins,. Australian flier, attempted to conquer the Arctic regions in flights from Alaska, but all of his three planes met with miShapS, In a brilliantly courageous flight Lieu tenant Commander Richard Byrd ,r r,,it tributed the greatest aviation eX- ploit of the past year in a flight on May g from Spitzbergen to the north pole and return in 15 hours and 30 minutes. Roald Amundsen, the Norwegian Arctic explorer, and Commander Mobile of the Italian navy followed two days later with another flight over the pole in the dirigible Norge from Spitzbergcn to Nome. Alaska, a trip of 2,00O miles.
 Other notable flights were the armys hop to South America, and the exploits of an Englishman, Sir Alan Gotham, who flew from Eng land to Capetown, South Africa, and of two Frcnchmen, Lieut.. Challes and Captain Weiser. who flew 3,250 miles from Paris to Bender Abbas, Persia. An Ameri- can, Lieut.. James Dooittle Of the army, who topped the Andes from Santiago, Chile to Beunos Aires on September 3, displayed an example of courage for he flew with both ankles frozen. In smashing all the seaplane speed records in the Schneider cup races, Major Mario de Bernadi on November 13 brought fame to Italy.
 In the national air meet of Sep tember Il, Lieut.. c. T. Cuddihy of the United States navy established i new pursuit ship speed record 1 with 1S0495 miles per hour. Wal ter Beach won the Ford reliability | contest, covering 2,652 miles with | an average speed of PA miles an hour, on August 21. American bal lo li~ts came to the fore, Wade | Van Orman capturing both the na- tional balloon and the Gordon | Bennett 1nlernalOnal Ddliooil IdceS'
 Probably the worst aviation dis l aster of the year was the burning ], up Of the giant Sikorsky biplane | after it had left the ground on it's New York to Paris flight with Cap tain Rene Ronck, French World | war ace, at the controls. Two Of the planc's crew Of four were killed.
 Air traffic multiplied the prob lens to police authorities in 1926. In the south hedge hopping" fly ing was prohibited after cotton L. l. lca1I Ax-ila