Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-12-31
u. s. AVIATION TO LEAVE
WORLD BEHIND In 1923
Exploits of Past Year Put Nation on
Threshold of Big Expansion in All
Phases of Flying.
BY OWEN l.. SCOTT
LII tuned up, with motors roar.

BY OWEN l.. SCOTT
A LII tuned up. with motors roar
" ing, American aviation is about
"A to take off on q year OF prog.
4 ress that will leave the flyers
Of the rest Of the world far be-
hind-finally trailing after a long
period Of leadership
This past year Of sensational flying
exploits furnished the impetus needed
to carry the United States out into
the lead. During next year the in
tense interest aroused will be capital
lied in less snowy but a much more
steady development Of organized COM
merclal aviation.
The nations imagination had been
captured by the remarkable adven-
ture of it's most attractive citizen"
Col. Lindbergh. But before the orgy
Of overseas flights that followed him
had subsidized 90 valuable lives had
been lost. This country's taste for
haphazard flying exploits disa ppeared.
1t turned instead to commercial n.y.
ing. with safety the keynote. and
Lindbergh the leader.
Picture Of Situation Now.
Now: Always, Il. 900 miles of them.
are soon to be completed. Airports
totaling nearly 1000 are ready. Air
plane factories are swamped, turning
out 900 ships a month, where year
ago they sought orders Ewenty-four
regular airmail routes, with Is stops,
shortly will be serving $4,000, 900
people and at reduced postage rates.
/ Civil commercial aviation will soon
pass $4,000 miles day on its regular
schedules. Itinerant operators already
are flying many times that distance,
hf n a
point OF safety. are flying millions OF
miles with a minimum Of accidents.
Shortly Il regular passenger routes
| will be in operation, covering 5000
miles It IL a situation that leads 10
superlatives by interested officials.
Magnificent progress Is being
made, Herbert Hoover, Secretary OF
: Commerce, exclaims: During the
next year we should surpass the
whole world put together with irnpe-
tus already gained. And all this Is
being done by private enterprise with
out Government subsidy, such as en-
joyed in foreign countries"
And speaking OF naval AVIATION.
Rear Admiral William A. Mohett.
/ chief of the Bureau Of Aeronautics.
declares progress has been "extraor-
/ binary" while aviation training has
| received an impetus which was un-
doubtedly phenomenal"
Twenty fifth Anniversary.
Flying in heavier-than-air machines
still has TO celebrate its twenty.nftn
birthday. This interesting event IL 10
be recognized next December. when
the leaders of aviation believe that
another year Of unprecedented prog
ress can be recognized.
The satisfaction which they feel
now over the state OF the industry
I'm this country isn't due to override
yeioped optimism. That's assured oy
the great air laboratories at Wright
Field. Dayton. where they tell you
that the United States II rapidly
backing the rest OF the world into the
shade when IL comes TO recent
mechanical development.
This country IL out In front IN
engine design. with the unsurpassed
air cooled motor. in latest design OF
planes. in skilled personnel, and in
the application OF radio communica-
ton TO flying. Then engine mufiiers
are coming. and brakes. and various
safety appliances that please the
traveller.
How orderly In all Of this develop
ment. Harry r. Gusgenheirn. head OF
the Daniel Guggenheim Foundation
for the Development 81 Aeronautics,
emphasizes.
Looking back to the first Of the
year 1884," he says. every one who
IL interested In the progress OF
American aeronautics must feel deep
ly impressed by the spectacular de-
velopments I'm the ind9try and In
the art and science a flying since
that date. II must not BE- forgotten.
however. that before Col. Lindeergh's
achievement focused public interest
upon transportation through the air.
Steps had already been taken 10 pro
vide the machinery for the orderly
development OF aviation In this coun.
try"
Development Going Ahead.
There are evidences on all sides that
this orderly development Is going
ahead. An important contribution has
been made by Insurance companies
which now carry over $IS.oeo. zoe in
policies 10 cover alrpiane lights. The
American Railway Express Company
now carries express between Boston,
New York. New York-chieaso. Chi,
Cago-nailas, Chicago.SAn Francisco
and Salt Lake City-I.os Angeles, on
routes totaling over &.SeN miles
Passenger rates are fairly uniform.
from 10 to ~ cents q mile. And now
there Is big demand for planes
from business houses and individual !.
business men, who plan 10 use them !
In their work
Development Of = "tooi proof plane i
for commercial dying Is the object Of |
contests heinz conducted by the Gus, !
genheirn Fund. All cf this Is heading |
ur In an unexpectedly large number |
NJ purchasers os planes The Depart !
ment Of Commerce predicts that \
thousands OF private owners soon /
win Nv for pleasure in up-te-siate. |
reasonable ecst, II Is dlttcult 70 /
anticipate the extent to which this I
class OF dying will Srcw,' I
Aud according to Joseph =, Amss. /
chairman Of the national advisory !
committee for aeronauties;
Operated without Subsidies.
''The most significant characteristics
ct American aviation - the Increase
an the number NJ privately ewneI
aiFplanes and the increase In the
number Of hylns enterprises which
are operated without cash subsidies.
az In other countries"
With all 81 the development In com,
metriai and private fylaS DURING this
past year most public attention has
been directed at the adventurous ex,
plaiis of American overseas rvsrS.
Only Americans succeeded In spanning
the North Atlantis during tAis wear az
unusually hazardous ntghtS Rut stul
there remains the challenge effertsa hv
possible round,trtp Night from the
United States "a EurNpe and hack |
And the Atlantic st1ll IL uncenauere>i
by heavier than air planes seeAlnS Go
make the single tcnrnaS tr~m EsAst 80
West.