Evening star., 1927-10-30
FLYING WITH GEN. PATRICK
By MAJ. GEN. M. NJ. PATRICK.
Chief Of the Army Air Corps.
Aviation as Sport.

Within the last year or two avi.
alton has come before the public eye
In greater effectiveness than ever be-
fore. The spectacular transoceanic
and transcontinental flights have 70.
cused public attention on flying and
have set many to surmising as to the
future development and possibilities
OF the use of aircraft.
1t was not long after the invention
Of the automobile that it was readily
taken up as a means Of transporta-
tion both privately and commercially
In aviation considerable discussion Is
taking place as to the possibilities OF
privately owned sport and pleasure
craft.
Although the number Of airplane
owners who maintain their machines
for purely sport and pleasure pur.
poses is small, the number is said to
be growing. There are certain OBJ
stacIes peculiar to the ownership and
operation of aircraft not found in the
automobile field, not the least signif-
cant Of which Is the necessity of fly.
tng from a suitable flying field which
may or may not be conveniently 10.
Gated for the pilot-owner
Forecasts Low-priced Planes.
It is conceivable that planes will be
manufactured. probably within tho
near future, at a price to be within
the reach Of the average citizen. There
are other drawbacks, however. aside
from the initial outlay. In the oper-
alton of an automobile the owner
steps into his car and starts 1t with
out difficulty. The operation of an
airpiane is a little more complicated.
To keep a plane always in flying con
dillon it is necessary to have skilled
airplane mechanic constantly looking
after it. The private operation Of an
airplaue, it is readily observed. EN-
bodies certain features which do lend
themselves to great popularity.
The extensive popularity Of motor
boats and yachts among certain
class suggests, perhaps, that the air.
plane and seaplane soon may become
popular amcng persons of means.
Tslving partakes of joys and pleasures
not to be found in other, forms Of
transportation.
while the era Of privately owned
planes is yet distant. many firms are
beginning to realize the possibilities
in commercially operated aircraft.
Last year there We're 420 such com
panies in the country. operating ap.
proximately 1000 planes. These com
panies reported that they carried $50
201 passengers and 1S2.50S pounds OF
freight
Aircraft Widely Applied i'm L. S.
Probably no country In the world
has applied aircraft to as many diff
farent uses or to the extent that we
have in the United States. Some idea
of the diversified uses o. airplanes
NAV be obtained from the following
A plane was used TO rush 100000 ir
gold to Miami from Jacksonville al
the time of the hurricane. three
plane loads Of overshoes were f1owr
from Bethany to New York wher
blizzards last year tied up all othel
transportation, planes often are uset
In transporting pay rolls to Mexican
mining camps as precaution agains
bandits and for covering" news
psAper stories from the air and trans
p6rting photographs to newspapers.
b 1t is safe to assert that American
commerce rapidly is coming to reahz
the importance O. the airplane as al
aid to business ard is more and NOR
adopting it for the transportation o
commodities as well as passengers.
fCopyright 1927 by William p. Helm. ir