Evening star., 1928-04-08

Inc AerOnautiC branCn. department
OF Commerce. In the near future will
announce an important amendment to
the present air regulations which has
been conceived with the Soject of saving
lives, encouraging flying and preserving
the good name OF aviation In short.
the amendment will make 1t far more
difficult for an enthusiastic would-be
Lindbergh to obtain a pilots license
this year than last.
Whereas the present regulations gov
erntng the issuance OF private pilot
licensa-a license which enables the
holder 10 fly as he chooses, but pro-
hibits him from carrying passengers Tor
hire or reward-do not specify GER
tain amount of experience prior TO the
examination, the amendment demands
that the applicant must have had 10
hours of solo work.--10 hours of flying
alone in order that he may not fall
back on the assistance OF an instructor
If he gets into jam.
These 10 hours, naturally, will be
above and beyond the time spent IN
dual instruction" work and In that
period the student viii have had good
opportunity to collect the much-needed
experience which alone will make him
a good pilot.
See Better Flyers.
Offcials of the AeronauticS Branch
are not willing to say that this amend
ment will hold for a number of years
hence They point 70 the constant
tightening OF the qualifications of an
applicant for an automobile drivers
permit and this, obviously. has been
brought about by the increase In auto
mobile traffic But by the l0-hour solo
clause, the AeronauticS Branch believes
many lives will be saved, better aviatorS
will be turned out and the progress OF
civil aeronautics will not be retarded by
constantly increasing number OF
casualties,
To errors In Judgment" have been
ascribed the cause OF the largest per-
centage OF civilian accidents in this
country. and everywhere for that mat
ter. Errors In Judgment" usually mean
lack OF proper preparation. II the
Government could control the courses
OF instruction given throughout the land
by the many flying schools that have
sprung up in the Lindbergh era. IT
probably would turn out flyers COM
parable to the Army and Navy instruc-
ton centerS
The Aeronautics Branch. however, Is
powerless under the law even TO mint
directly to the various school operators
how they should run their own business
Reports always are current that there
are any number Of unethical fying
schools throughout the country that
will take an enthusiastic youth, turn
him loose IN the air, allow him To stag
ger around the airport, sell him plane
and kiss him good-b -by-~-Sometimes for
ever. Whether these stories are true
cannot be aseertained with any degree
= at Il
ment. The personal element OF In
struction and learning enters into each
ease-probably no two instructors teach
alike, no two students learn alike and
this In itself. could give rise to seant OF
careless instruction.
Army Course Strict.
At the Army Air Corps training
schools, for example, nothing but the
perfect young man, physically, intel
ectually and temperamentally, can sur
viye and even large numbers of these
fall down before the rigid course Is
ended The Air Corps spends thousands
of dollars on each student and makes
him spend year In training before he
Is turned loose
But when the brand-new second lieu-
tenant does take his place In the squad
ron, the leader of that unit does not
have TO consider the capabilities or In
capabilities OF that young man on the
ground that he's Just out Of school"
The leaders know without inquiring
that this new ofiicer-pilot has been
drilled thoroughly and no questions as
10 whether he can do this or that are
directed at him,
In taking year 10 teach the p0-
tential Army hlfdman, the Air Corps
makes q military aviator out Of him
FIRST 1t teaches him 10 ny as well as all
the necessary ground work that must be
employed In flying The student must
know how Ia fiy so we'll that he can
forget he IA 4 pilot after q period and