Evening star., 1927-07-24
MEDICAL AIR GROUP
FORMED PILOTS
Section Organized as Result
of Civilian Rush for
Flying Licenses.

Tho rush for Fedearl licenses by
civilian avators has brought about
the organization of a medical section
nt the aeronautical division of the De-
partment of Commerce for the eXami-
nation Of the applicants.
DIR. i. II. Bauer, a graduate of the
Harvard Medical School. has been ap-
pointed to take charge of the service
and is organizing corps of $50 physi-
clans throughout the country to eX-
anime the applicants.
Under the air commerce act of
1926 every air pilot must be licensed
bN the Department of Commerce. The
applications since the famous flights
Of Lindhergh. Chamberlin. Maitland
and Byrd have swamped the depart
ment. and temporary permits are now
being ISSUED awaiting opportunity to
examine the applicants more thor
oughly.
DIR. Bauer Back From West.
AS the prospective pilots must take
an eXaminat ton to show they have
clear vision, good hearing and no
physical defect, only doctors with fly
ing knowledge are being used in pass
ing on their qualifications. The tests
are not so stringent as those for Army
and Navy flyers.
DR.. Bauer has just returned from a
five-week trip through the Western
States. where he has succeeded in or
ganizing the medical service for the
Commerce Departments air activities.
Under present plans it is hoped to
have at least one doctor in each cen.
ter of aviation activity.
Aviation medicine, according to DIR.
Bauer, is making rapid strides. He
commanded the Army aviation medi-
cal center in Texas before his appoint
ment to the Department of Commerce
post by Secretary Hoover. England
was the first to realize that doctors
must specialize in treating and exam
inlng aviators, and since that time
this country has taken up the work
in both the Army and Navy.
DR.. Bauer hopes to interest the
class A medical schools of the country
to introduce courses in aviation medi.
cine. In New England, for example,
Harvard, Tufts and Yale doctors who
are specialists in air medicine will
eventually be in demand. he believes,
pointing out that so far there are
about 1000 applications for civilian
pilots licenses on file in the Depart
ment of Commerce, and the number
Is increasing materially.
Perfect Vision Required.
The principal defects found in appli-
cants for flying is poor vision and inn
pairment of the nervous condition.
Not only do the examiners require
perfect vision from the applicant for
q pilots license, but also that he be a
good judge Of distance, and be accur. |
ate. He must have what is called in |
air medicine nervous stability, being |
able to stand exposure and strain |
without affecting his normal functions. |
The man who has suffered from a |
nervous breakdown or shell shock is |
usually a poor aviation risk. The |
British early in the war attempted to |
make pilots of infantry officers and |
others who had suffered strain at the |
front. with the result that their air |
casualties were far greater on the
training fields at home than in battle. |
1t was this condition that caused them
to study the medical side of the flyer.
For Army combat service the doc.
tors have found, the pilot must be well
under 80 when he starts his training.
Even in civilian flying the man over
80 is considered old. Because flying is
so young there are no statistics as
to how long a man can fly. With
experience, and leading a life free
from dissipation, it is believed that a
pilot can last an indefinite number
of years without undo physical strain.
The requirements for civilian pilots
are not as strict as those of the Army
and Navy, save for those in transport
work, which is the carrying of passen-
gers, mail, etc. The test for these
pilots is almost on a par with those
of the services.
Civilian pilots seldom fly in high