The Washington times., 1927-06-02
SUPPER IS
SAFETY OF
PLANES
By GEN. WILLIAM MITCHELL
Formerly Commander Air Forces. A.E.F..
And Director Of Military Avia-
ti0ns United States Army
VVPifkan ExnreaaIy for New York Ameraoan

ana OAFOGCOE OF uAutAEY AVA
ton. United States Army
Written Expressly for New York American
Copyright. 1920
MIDDLEBERG, Va, June 3.
When we begin to estimate costs
on a transatlantic air service, we
set into a rather uncertain guam
tity. I have checked the cost fig
ures in a good many places in
America. Europe and Asia, and
most Of them are conflicting and
misleading.
believe, as far as the operating
of airplanes is concerned. exclusive
of landing fields. weather services,
rescue parties and radio equipment,
figuring off deterioration of equip
ment and operating expenses, that
passengers or their equivalent in
weight could be carried at about fS
cents mile, provided full loads
could be obtained.
$3.50 One Trip
THIS would mean the flat cost Of
. trip to Europe, one way, would
be about $3.50 per passenger. All
governments furnish harbors, light
houses, radio weather reports, wire
less and life saving services for
their steamship lines. There is
even more reason why they should
furnish them for their air lines.
As to the regularity of schedule,
We have shown that on the trans
American air service from New
York to San Francisco. even with
the crude airplanes and methods
that are used, more than 95 per
cent Of the trips are run on SEIZED
ule time and virtually all of them
so through.
With excellent airplanes, and
equipment such as l have outlined
In the preceding article. the SEIZED.
ule by air from the United States
to Europe should be more regular
than the steamship service that now
exists between Europe and America.
Time To Develope
Naturally it would take a little
time to develop it, but with CON-
petent handling by experienced
men there should be very little
holding up of any trips.
AS to safety, the murder Of acct
dents that happen in the Army and
Navy air services in America leads
people to believe that this is a
necessary incident to flying. This
is distinctly not the case.
These accidents are directly due
to having people in charge of aero.
nautics who know little about it,
who are not airmen, but are selected
from the officers of the Army and
Navy to handle it, not for the best
interests of aviation, but to keep
1t down SO that it will not over
shadow the older services.
These officers were picked off the
deck of a battleship or from a regi-
ment in the Army. and were told:
Tag! You're it! Go play with
aviationg'
A pair of wings was pasted on
them after somebody else had flown
them around in an airplane, so it
could be announced they were air.
men and knew something about air.
planes.
Poor Planes Provided
The result is that very poor air.
planes are provided for the pilots Of
the Army and Navy to fly in. very
poor instruction is given them, and
very poor weather service furnished,
all OF which together causes the in
ordinate and inexcusable number of
accidents which we are having in
American aviation.
The commercial air services in
Europe publish interesting statistics
as to safety. The British, in one Of
their reports. show that a distance
equal to 81 times around the earth
has been flown for each loss of life
in their commercial aviation. This
means that it is safer than travelling
In street cars, automobiles, railroad
trains or steamships.
In conclusion, my views are as
follows:
First-Commercial aviation across
the Atlantic, both by airplane and
airship, is a practical proposition at
= the present time and can be main
tanned on a sound, economic basis,
providing sufficient capital for fl
nancing, suitable pilots for operating
personnel and sufficient assistance
from Government agencies is OBJ
tanned.
Second-It is difficult to tell when
transoceanic will be inaugurated.
This is largely question OF supply,
demand and inertia.
Third-The trend of plane develop.
Sment for long distance travel is to-