Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1928-11-22
PROGRESS IN
AIR ISSETO out
NU.S.REPORT
PRODUCTION of Planes
Increased During
Year; Mail Routes
Extend Over Map

enai record of progress in ali
"anehes of American aviation is re
saied IN the annual report OF Major
~'Afence M. Young, director of the
'~s'Ohautics branch Of the department
: commerce, which was made public
''oay. The growth Of air commerce
sho the air craft industry Of the
united States. Major Young believes.
cue IN no small measure 70 the
ssrlct enforcement of federal regu-
asions which has inspired public con-
noenee in the safety of air trans
During 1927 American factories
produced nearly 1000 aircraft having
total value of $14, 100000 as com
pared with less than 1000 valued at
ss'siO,OOO during the preceding year.
Exports Of aircraft and parts during
As<i amounted TO nearly S2.000,OOO,
q increase of approximately 50 PEI
cent over 1926. During the first half
q the current year our total sales IN
foreign markets Of aircraft products
were 50 per tent greater than the en-
TIRE shipments Of last year.
Ai~r-transport. Major Young de-
riares, has now attained a definite
place In the economic scheme OF
transportation. The established air.
way system Is the backbone Of our
commercial aviation. although opera
tons over this network form only
one-tenth of all civil flying. These
routes now cover ll,l9i miles on
which 27,si7 miles are flown daily.
OF these, 1896 miles are under mail
contract and 200 mail planes fly
1924 miles daily over these routes.
There are now $3.50 miles Lighted.
1900 miles under contract for night
flying, and 5,30S additional miles con
sidered for lighting during the fiscal
year 1929. The cities actually con
nected by the routes at the close OF
the fiscal year numbered $, the
trading areas served containing 80
million people. BY the close Of the
current fiscal year il is believed that
almost all Of the larger cities and
many Of the m~iddle-sized commun-
tiles will be connected by air routes
and that smaller feeder lines viii
serve many outlying cities.
Radio Reports Near
Communication to aircraft in flight
along the transcontinental route. the
report states, will be available with
In n short time. Radio equipment IS
under construction for replacing OBJ
solete apparatus now IN use. Inc
new apparatus will provide radio
telephone or radio-telegraph COM
munication as may be required on ire
uuencies between 100 and 500 kllo-
cycles.
Considerable research and testing
York was conducted by the Bureau OF
Branch during the period under Ri
view. These Investigations embraced
radio aids 10 navigation, lighting OF
airways, sound proofing Of airplane
cabins, airplane control tests, and
tests Of commercial aircraft engines.
Y Approximately 600 airplanes are be-
ing built in American factories each
month which have to be inspected as
10 their airworthiness. II is obvious.
Major Young states, that a very ef-
f;rient organization of the inspection
section Is essential in order to carry
out the work involved. To tbs end.
factory inspectors arc being m
Moved and tfained ss rapidly as pos
sible for the purpose Of inspecting
and licensing "new production" air
nlanes at the time they leave the fac
.orv. This. IL is pointed out. will
,id the industry BY facilitating the
ssuance Of licenses in the first in
stance, although these planes Will
still require periodical r~einspection
hy the field personnel Of the deport-
ment.
Applications for pilots and me-
rhsnic's licenses showed striking In
given the cpochsl flights which oe-
cured during that period. By June
20 last applications were on file Tor
aver $500 pilot sand 5000 mechanics
which was about three times the
vur,ber Of file on the corresponding
sste the previous year. On June so
svsr 400 applications has been re-
reiyed for licensing airplanes as COM
rsred with HOO at the end Of the
1907 fiscal period Up 70 June 80
i,,t. licenses had been issued for ap-
r~yoximately 5000 pilots. 5000 nc
ehsnjcs and 1000 ~airplanes. In ad-
d;tion. 1000 applications for students
rermits have been filed.
40 Inspectors
=, crder TO pass on the qualifica-
,;ons Of these applicants. the Bureau
maintains 40 inspectors IN the field.
AZ the work Of these inspectors Is al
,,ost entirely nj sirports official air
s.,.s can be utilized with great saw
- AZ time and a corresponding in
lac Of efficiency. Unfortunately.
I. yeport shows, there are but IL
lanes OF modern design available TO-
80 use. Funds ar available for the
H.-ehase of five more but even with
~ additional number of oirplanes
~. rumber essential to the most
Efficient performance of inspection
duties. -or. of
Nations the report shows that
r,ing the past fiscal year there were
W. ,;clations, resulting in 65 assess
80. Of the civil penalty. l2l repri-
e.Ss % suspensions. 2 revocations.
me- Z daniaI of licenses. The viola
2 Consisted Of acrobatics over
tlvnh;h;,ed areas, flying low over con
pIvO.nd areas. flying licensed aircraft
gssssa,. a pilot's license. flying air
WIZ rs;th no Identification numbers
ss.i.ved and flying without naviga-
non Inc inter- ling develop
g. ~ the past fiscal year cited
Major Young in his report VS.
ny n..,tiou Of an accident hoard
tns ,;r h;s organization 70 investigate
~ Evil aircraft accidents With tn
al 70 determining ard c~lminatin,
vew causes. This beard Is composed
taen experienced riiot. flight
surgeon, a lawyer verssd y ar iaT
W. sr a~eronauticai c~nr'rcer. y
anus,,i .nalvsis Of accidents Is male
talsi -rcrrrntace valuation assigned
ana sr;bntory causes. This meJhoi.
2 s declared. will provide statistic
y how the exact csuses Of accident
70 roiut the way to their elimins
ma PTt will also provide a valuable
noh. ., those portions of the air
inosn regulations regarding both
srsonnei and material that may he
Unnecessarily severe. or where high,
n safety standards rad are %scc rffC'i rer1 aap
49, must be imposed.