The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1927-06-30
The Two FLIGHTS

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AS this is written two outstanding events are
taking place in the aviation world.
One is the dramatic flight to Hawaii. The other is
the crosscountry fight of thirteen planes in the Ford
reliability tour.
The second of these, while less spectacular is of
the immediate Importance to the ordinary citi-
zen
The Pacific fight, like the Lindbergh and Cham
berlin flights is splendid demonstration of courage
and skill.
But except as it challenges his imagination and
attracts his attention to aviation its relation to the
average man is remote
To scientists interested in development of air.
plane types and aerial navigation Instruments it is
of value but it will be years. possibly decades before
ocean flights become general. and then the planes
will be costly air liners, piloted by crews with special
training.
The reliability tour, however, shows what lot
of us could be doing tomorrow, If wished, and will
most certainly be doing in year or two. These
planes are of the type that private individuals could
buy and maintain for convenience Measure Their
makers are building them, hope to build them for
sale to private individuals
This is not dream.
Aviation has been hampered by its own glamour
The average man regards flying as foohardy spec
tacle in which supermen with more nerve than sense
do acrobatics walk the wings at county fairs He
remembers the rigorous tests the Army gives aspr-
ing aviators. He remembers paying $40 for ten
minute hop and believes it too expensive.
But the plane that took Lindbergh to Paris used
only ten gallons of gas hour. In that hour 1t
travelled 100 miles. Does your automobile get more
than twelve miles to the gallon?
The average man does not hear of the hundreds
who are flying pleasant useful miles with the same
unconcern with which he drives his automobile
Through the reliability tours he will hear more of
these He will modern planes with inclosed cock
pits, comfortable cabins and he will learn that
straight flying is and pleasant mode of travel
The Army demands much of It's fliers in the way
of battle maneuvers and formation flying It also
demands much of its cavalrymen But a man need
not be cavalryman to enjoy canter in the park
and Army flying bears about the same relation to pri-
vate flying that cavalry tactics bear to the morning
galop.
The fact that you or your neighbor could not
drive racing car on speedway does not mean you
can not take your family safely for ride on the pub
lie highway.
The TACT that you are not stunt flyer does not
mean you could not take this family for a ride
at cooling altitude away from dust and traffic ag-
gravatons.
liability tours are constantly developing types of
planes with which this be done with increasing
safety and economy.
Public interest is centering more and more on
aviation. This makes aviation accidents better
news" but an analysis of these show they occur I'M
der conditions which the ordinary man, flying his
own plane for pleasure, would not encounter Ex-
perienced flyers killed flying in bad weather or
testing new types Of planes or motors Novices are
killed doing things they have business to do By
the same token grade crossings take heavy toll
every year.
There are few reasons why any man who can
drive an automobile in traffic not safely attempt
straight flying land his plane on an ordinary land
ing field.
The planes in the Ford reliability tour are the
sort he will be using when he wisely decides to trust
his safety to his hands in the open air rather
than risk being rammed by fool at blind corner.
The progressive will watch this reliability test
flight.